Daydreamer Dragon
by Tohka Yatogami
Summary: Ishie Hyoudou is a girl attending Kuoh Academy, a formerly all-girls school, who wants nothing more to find and experience the simple joys of love, but feels she never will beyond her fairy tail fantasies... until one fateful day causes her to learn that her daydreams aren't as crazy as she once believed. (Fem!Issei, non-perverted Issei)
1. This is no Dream

**Hey there everyone! It's been a while since I tried a new story, and I recently decided to try an idea I've had floating around for a while, as it's been itching to get out of me. The most important thing I'll say before anything else is that compared to the heavily changed world of "Legend of the Heavenly Dragons", the story I've got planned for "Daydreamer Dragon" is closer to canon.**

**The most important thing about this story is, as the summary mentions, that it's a Fem!Issei story. My female take on him is named Ishie, and she's not a pervert like her canon counterpart, instead being a _fairy tale romantic_ as I'd best describe it. This is the reason for the story's name, as she wants to know the feelings having a boyfriend would give her... though views herself too much like the princesses in most fairy tales.**

**This itself is important to whoever she'll end up with, because rather than set someone to eventually become her boyfriend from the start, she'll have some romantic teasing with a few characters and then eventually I'll decide on who I want her to be with somewhere between V6 and V10's events. There won't be any other gender bends besides Ishie, so her potential love interests are everyone that's already a boy.**

**Before we start this story, the last thing among important changes is that Murayama and Katase have a bigger role, being Ishie's version of Matsuda and Motohama, though in a very different way that I'll explain more about at the end of the chapter. For now, let's just say its part of a few changes that will keep this story from being too much like canon.**

**And with that, let the first chapter of Daydreamer Dragon begin!**

* * *

**[Chapter 1 - This is no Dream]**

_A huge battle could be seen as a knight in armor, which completely hid his appearance, rushed through a field as a large Dragon flew overhead and let out a roar, unleashing a powerful flame from its mouth._

_Seeing the fire coming, the knight leaped into the air as if he was a majestic lion, his shield held out to block the attack before stabbing through one of the Dragon's wings._

_Roaring in pain, the Dragon crashed onto the ground as it was no longer able to maintain its flight, quickly rolling onto its legs as it continued its flurry of flames at the noble knight._

_"You shall not stop me, you fiend!" He declared._

_Once again, he held his shield out, but being grounded allowed the Dragon's fire to propel itself with more power, pushing the knight back as he struggled to stand strong against the mighty beast._

_"My brave knight, don't give up!" A female voice shouted._

_Hearing those words, the knight turned to see a princess in a white dress look his way, giving him a big smile of encouragement. Upon seeing that joyful expression on her face, he stomped onto the ground and began to push forward._

_"Keep going, I believe in you!" The princess cheered._

_"Yes, I shall not give in, princess!" The knight answered._

_Pushing forward, the knight managed to win against the strength of the flames before slashing his sword across the Dragon, causing the beast to roar as the knight's sword burned through its scales and turned it into mere ashes._

_Seeing his triumph, the knight walked up to the Princess and held her in his arms as they looked at one another._

_"My hero." She praised._

_"Nothing could have stopped me, for I would brave a thousand Dragons for you." He replied._

_Lifting part of his helmet, the two neared each other for a kiss._

**"Ishie, hello? Snap out of it!"**

_The princess' eyes widened, right as she suddenly fell backwards. It looked like she would hit the ground... only for her to fall through it as it shattered like broken glass!_

_A white flash enveloped the world as her vision was clouded by the strange radiance._

* * *

In just seconds, the field was revealed to simply be part of a hill in a schoolyard, and the Princess was just a mere high school student that was sitting at the top of it. Her fall eventually led to her head hitting the ground, causing two girls that were her friends to gasp in worry.

"Owie..." The girl who tumbled groaned.

"Ishie, are you alright!?" One of the asked.

The girl who checked to see if she was OK was a brunette that wore her hair in twin tails with a pair of red ribbons, having light brown and a fairly developed figure for a girl her age. The personal part of her school uniform was white socks slightly rolled at the top.

The girl standing next to her, who had indirectly caused Ishie's tumble, had short peach-colored hair with matching eyes. While not as developed as the brunette next to her, she made up for it by having some shapely legs. The personal part of her school uniform was black socks.

"Don't worry Murayama, just got a little surprised by Katase is all." Ishie reassured her.

Sitting herself back up, the girl known as Ishie was shown to have slightly messy hair of either light brown or sand colored, which reached to her armpits, and eyes of what looked to be a faded hazel. Unlike her friends, she had a figure that seemed more expected of a Third-Year student, whereas the three of them were only Second-Years.

For the personal part of her uniform, she actually wore blue sneakers instead of her shoes most students wore with short white socks, and her sleeves were rolled up to look short.

"How did you suddenly fall like that?" Katase questioned, raising an eye.

"Uh..." Ishie replied, looking away slightly.

That response was all the two needed for an answer, knowing the one defining trait of their friend beyond all others.

"You were daydreaming again, weren't you?" Murayama realized.

Ishie blushed at that.

"N-No, I totally wasn't dreaming about being a princess being rescued from a Dragon by a brave knight!" She denied, her eyes looking to the side.

Only after she said that did Ishie realize what she had just said.

"Ishie, you lie about your thoughts as well as you do in Science Class, terribly." She breathed.

"I know." Ishie pouted.

As they stood there, a sudden scream caught the attention of the trio, making them turn to see the commotion. They all immediately blushed as they saw a teenage boy their age with blonde hair and gray eyes walking past them.

However, due to her overactive imagination? Ishie was seeing imaginary sparkles coming off his body.

"It's Kiba!" They exclaimed.

As they watched the Prince of Kuoh walk by, who they (along with 90% of the female student population) were completely smitten over, a trio of female students ran towards him without their notice.

"Kiba, wait up!" One of them called out.

He turned around to see them as they came to a stop.

"Hey there Kiba, what are you doing right now?" The girl at the front asked.

"Yeah, do you maybe wanna go sing karaoke with us?" Another offered.

"Sorry, but I have a meeting with my club." He apologized.

Hearing his response, all three of them showed sad expressions at being unable to spend time with Kiba.

"Aw, that sucks..." The last girl replied.

"I do wish I could go though. It was nice of you ladies to invite me." Kiba replied, smiling and waving before he walked away.

All three of them smiled at that, while from where she and her friends were standing, Ishie felt herself falling into another fantasy.

"Oh, I wish he had said that to us. It would be so-" She thought aloud.

Before she could finish what she was saying, she failed to notice her swaying making her lean too far onto the hillside, causing her one foot to give out. A loud scream caught everyone's attention as she began falling down the hill.

*"WOOSH!"*

However, before she could end up falling too far and hurting herself, she suddenly felt a warm pair of arms around her. Looking up, her blush grew even more as she saw that Kiba was holding her in her arms...

Just like in her recent princess fantasy.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

'Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh!' She thought, feeling her face go completely red.

Ishie couldn't vocalize any words, having felt her brain turn into mush from his touch.

As such, she just nodded her head.

"Try to be more careful next time, alright?" Kiba asked, putting her on the ground.

Ishie watched as he walked away, and once he was far enough away... she squealed.

"Kiba held you in his arms!" Katase cheered.

"If it wasn't for the fact it happened because you suddenly tripped, I'd be so jealous right now. Instead, I'll just say congratulations!" Murayama smiled.

Ishie simply squealed again.

"You can't talk right now, can you?" Katase realized, giggling slightly.

Unable to stop smiling or answer with words, Ishie shook her head.

"Murayama?" Katase replied.

"I've got it." She nodded.

Slapping Ishie on the back, the daydreaming girl felt the words stuck in her throat come out.

"I was held by the Prince of Kuoh, this was even better than my fantasy!" She screamed.

Moments later, she covered her mouth.

"That wasn't too loud, was it?" Ishie asked, blushing in embarrassment.

Her friends chose not to answer her.

"Either way, it was like a dream come true. The joy of that one special man entering your life with no sign or warning, and radiating a wonderful shine that doesn't blind you as it warms your heart and forges the eternal bond between you and him." Ishie continued

She let out a happy sigh, feeling imaginary hearts flying off of her body as her friends sighed, realizing where her mind was going.

"Oh boy, this isn't going to reduce her fantasies in the slightest." Katase realized.

"Let her have this one for today." Murayama suggested, sighing in acceptance.

* * *

Not too long after the above event, Ishie could be seen carrying some kendo equipment into a building that belonged to the Girls' Kendo Club, which Murayama and Katase were the President and Vice-President of.

Walking inside the building, and unaware of something she would have seen had she came in from the other way, she put the box down as she saw all of the girls changing into their Kendo uniforms.

"I got your Shinai and Bogu ready." Ishie stated, getting everyone's attention.

"Thank you Ishie." Murayama replied.

"No problem. While I might not be as interested in kendo as you are, nothing says I can't help with your club's errands." She smiled.

As they continued changing, Katase briefly looked at Murayama's larger chest, before seeing the impressive chest pillows that Ishie carried.

"Uh... Katase, what's wrong?" She replied, getting nervous.

She got closer to Ishie, causing her to feel even more uncomfortable... right before Katase chose to grope Ishie from behind.

"Ah! K-Katase!?" Ishie exclaimed.

"Seriously! What are you eating to have grown this much, and how big are you now!?" Katase questioned, showing a slight insecurity about her own bust size.

Ishie began to feel a tickle from the act, feeling her eyes water she started laughing.

"I-I don't know, t-they just grew like this... and I'm not sure I should answer that!" Ishie replied, laughing every few words.

Just as she finished saying that.

"Murayama's jugs are huge!" A loud, high-pitched boy's voice exclaimed.

"Bust 84, Waist 70, Hips 81!" A low, more moderate boy's voice said in reply.

All the girls froze at that.

"And Katase's legs are crazy sexy!" The first voice exclaimed again.

"Bust 78, Waist 65, Hips 79!" The second voice said in reply for the second time.

Ishie turned her head slightly.

"No one say anything, I feel like I can tell where those voices are coming from." She whispered, moving her eyes around.

Glancing around the room, she tried to find the source of the two voices.

"Ooh, and look at Ishie's bombshell of a body!" The first voice exclaimed once more.

"Bust 97, Waist 59, Hips 88!" The second voice said in reply for the third time.

Katase felt her eye twitch at that.

'Both of them are so dead!' Ishie thought, a forced smiled on her face.

At that moment, she saw what she had been looking for.

"A peephole! There are peepers outside!" She shouted.

Hearing her screams, both of the boys jumped, realizing they had been caught. The first boy had a shaved head and big ears, while the second had dark brown hair and wore glasses that had lens so thick, they completely covered his eyes.

"Run for it!" They shouted.

The girls immediately finished changing and ran after him, holding their shinai in hand as they did, with Ishie herself borrowing one.

"Get back here!" Murayama shouted.

"You perverts!" Katase screamed.

"Don't let those pigs get away, I'm doubly mad at them!" Ishie roared.

As they continued the chase, they passed by the old school building, getting the attention of someone as they walked up to the window.

After a lengthy chase, the perverted duo managed to escape, leaving Ishie, Murayama, and Katase to stop by the old school building.

"How are... those two... so fast!?" Ishie asked.

"I've heard that... Matsuda used to be some kind of... sports star, but that doesn't... explain why... Motohama's speed." Katase replied in agreement.

"No idea, but... right now... I need to sit down." Murayama remarked.

As they did this, Ishie sat down and looked up, causing her to see an unexpected sight. It was a female Third-Year student with long, gorgeous red hair and blue eyes with an exotic look.

"Rias Gremory..." Ishie breathed.

"Huh?" Her friends blinked.

Looking up at the window, both of them gasped as a pair of blushes and smiles formed on their faces. Not long after this, Rias walked away from the window, leaving Ishie to stare at it as if she never left.

"Wow, Rias is so gorgeous!" Katase remarked, still blushing.

Ishie let out a deep breath.

"Yeah, and I'm kind of envious of that." She replied, lowering her head.

"You're jealous of her?" Murayama asked.

Ishie shook her head.

"No, not at Rias herself, just the fact her... _aura_ feels like that of a real princess. Every girl wants to feel pretty in some way, and while she has it naturally, that isn't the case with me." She explained.

Sighing again, she crossed her legs.

"Maybe it's because she isn't from Japan like we are, and the boys like their fruit exotic in a sense. I'm sure my friend Irina would get more attention than me if she hadn't moved away." Ishie wondered aloud.

"Don't be too hard on yourself. You're still pretty, and look at Souna Shitori, her figure's like mine and she's popular." Katase replied, trying to cheer her up.

Ishie raised her head a bit.

"Yeah, maybe to quote your love of fantasies... you're a flower that's still blooming, and once you bloom? The flower you become will be beautiful." Murayama encouraged her.

That really helped pep up Ishie's mood, leaving a big smile on her face.

"Right, I got to be in Kiba's arms today! Maybe it won't be much longer before my knight in shining armor comes?" She stated, feeling her eyes sparkle.

As this was happening, Rias sat down on the couch alongside a girl with long black hair tied in a ponytail and purple eyes, sporting an even more impressive figure than Rias did... though only slightly so.

"Akeno, who was that girl just now?" She asked, looking at the chess board in front of her.

"Which one?" Akeno asked.

"The one in the middle." She replied.

"Let's see... if I remember right, that's Ishie Hyoudou from Class 2-B. Why do you ask?" Akeno recalled, a curious look in her eyes.

Rias picked up a Pawn and moved it.

"I noticed something interesting about her aura... oh, and checkmate." Rias answered.

Akeno bent down, surprised that she lost.

"I see. Do you want me to ask Koneko to keep an eye on her?" Akeno asked.

"It would be helpful, but I think we should do a little more than that." Rias replied.

Holding out her hand, a small bat-like creature to appeared.

"Follow the girl outside with the sandy colored hair, and when you get a chance, make sure you give her a flier." She requested.

Nodding her head, the bat disappeared in a puff of smoke.

* * *

Once their school day had come to a complete end, both with classes and their other activities, Ishie waved goodbye to her friends.

"I'll see you both tomorrow!" She smiled.

"OK, see you then Ishie!" Katase replied.

As she prepared to head home, Rias' familiar saw her chance and transformed into a Human girl with a hairstyle resembling her true form.

After walking for a bit, Ishie noticed said Familiar, who turned her way.

"Here, take a flier." She offered.

"Sure, thank you." Ishie accepted.

The Familiar smiled before walking off, leaving Ishie to briefly look at the flier.

"Your... wish will be... granted?" She read aloud, confused by its meaning.

Shrugging a bit, she pocketed the flier and continued walking, unaware of a First-Year student walking into view as she left, licking the Popsicle in her hands.

'She got the flier, now I just hope nothing happens.' She thought.

Ishie decided to make a stop at the park, sitting on the edge of a fountain as she took out a notebook she used as her diary, writing an entry along with a picture based on how Kiba caught her in his arms earlier.

"I can't believe that Kiba actually carried me like a princess today! Oh, if only he had kissed me." She squealed.

"Too bad it will never be more than just a dream." A female voice replied.

Hearing the sound of someone's voice, Ishie looked around, only to notice there was no one else in the park besides herself. She looked up to try extended the range of her eyesight...

Only to see something flying at her, before she could even react.

* * *

All of a sudden, Ishie felt herself waking up in her room, screaming as she shot up from bed and held a hand over her chest. Looking down, she noticed that she wasn't hurt in any way.

"What the? Wait, am I in... my room?" She asked herself, feeling confused.

The door suddenly slammed open, showing the concerned form of her mom as she ran in and rushed towards her daughter's bedside.

"Ishie, sweetie, are you OK!?" Her mother asked with worry.

"Uh... yeah, I'm fine. I... I think I just had a nightmare?" Ishie replied, though more like a question than an answer.

Her mother let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank goodness." She smiled.

"I'm OK now... well, sort of. I just need a moment for my mind to catch up with where I really am." Ishie reassured her, scratching behind her ear.

"Alright, and I still need some time to finish breakfast, so take your time." Her mother replied.

Ishie nodded as she walked out of the room, leaving her to question what she last remembered compared to where she was now.

* * *

As she headed to school for the day, Ishie's mind was lost in her apparent dream.

"Ishie!" Katase shouted.

"Huh?" She blinked.

Turning to see her best friends, she smiled at them.

"Oh... hey you two." She answered.

Her lack of energy was quickly noticed by the two, who quickly realized something was off.

"Is something wrong? You seem kind of... down?" Murayama asked.

"Confused and distracted is more like it." Ishie replied.

Seeing their confused expressions as they walked inside the school building, she rubbed her head and sighed a bit.

"OK, this might sound weird of me to ask, but what was the last thing we did yesterday?" She asked.

"We said our goodbyes before heading home for the day, why do you ask?" Murayama answered, raising an eye.

"Oh boy..." Ishie realized.

They approached the stairs near the class, and Ishie began explaining everything.

"That's when I woke up in my bed, feeling confused because of where I was." She finished.

"So, what you're saying is you don't even remember going home?" Katase asked.

Ishie nodded.

"And that nightmare felt so real, enough that I felt a horrible pain on my stomach when I woke up... even though I didn't even find any damage on it." She continued.

"I had a really bad nightmare once, and it felt real after I woke up. Maybe it was just so terrifying that you can't think of anything else?" Murayama guessed.

"Hmm... maybe." Ishie admitted.

While she did accept the idea, something still felt off. The problem is she couldn't figure out what made her feel that way.

"Whoa!"

Hearing her friends' shouting, Ishie followed their eyes to see Rias on top of the staircase. She began walking down, but as she did, the most unexpected thing happened... Rias briefly glanced at her.

The sight of that left Ishie stunned for a moment, wondering why she did that as her eyes followed her.

'That was weird, and not because she bothered to look at me...' She thought, shaking her head slightly.

However, before she could think about it any further...

*"DING-DONG!"*

Hearing that got the attention of the trio, realizing that first period was about to begin.

"Oh, we better get to class now!" Katase realized.

"Oh, y-yeah... right." Ishie nodded, still distracted.

* * *

The bell went off once again as the day ended at homeroom, with Ishie yawning a bit as she stared at the classroom's blackboard.

"Maybe they're right. I do feel kind of tired, and I haven't had any of my usual fantasies all day." Ishie thought aloud.

However, as she prepared to leave...

*"SCREAM!"*

She jumped as her fellow female students all got excited over something, and that something in question? A familiar blonde boy who had held her in his arms the day before.

"Hey." Kiba greeted.

"Look, it's Kiba!" A girl said happily.

"Whoa, I've been close to him two days in a row? Is this some kind of good luck sign?" Ishie whispered to herself.

It didn't take long for all the girls to surround Kiba.

"You're all looking lovely today." He complimented to everyone.

"You look even better!" Murayama praised.

"I'm sorry the room's not cleaner." Katase apologized.

Kiba soon walked towards Ishie's desk, getting everyone's notice, including her own.

"Ah, there you are." He greeted.

Ishie immediately blushed, replying with gibberish that only caused her to start blushing even more, as all she did was embarrass herself.

"Oh, my god! Is this a confession or request for a date?" Murayama asked.

"No, please don't confess or ask her out!" Katase begged.

'I agree, if only because this is not how I want either to happen. I look so stupid right now!' Ishie thought, sweating nervously.

"I'm here on an errand for Rias Gremory, would you mind coming with me?" Kiba requested.

Ishie's blush disappeared, blinking in surprise, as did the rest of her female classmates who had no idea why such a request was made. Even Ishie didn't know why, but... she had a strange feeling it was linked to Rias glancing from earlier.

"Uh... OK?" She replied, feeling an odd sense of tension around her.

* * *

As the orange color of the afternoon filled the sky, Kiba brought Ishie inside the old school building, an honor she had never experienced before today. Once she was inside, she saw the girl who she never realized had been following her.

"Hmm? Hey, I think I know her. She's... uh..." Ishie realized, but couldn't put a name to her face.

"Koneko Toujou is a First-Year and a valued member of the Occult Research Club." Kiba answered.

That made Ishie bop her fist into her other hand, recognizing her at the school mascot, right as she began eating some chocolate. The sight caused Ishie's stomach to rumble, making her blush a little.

"Excuse me, but can I have some of that-" She asked.

Koneko simply glanced at her, and she immediately felt like a tiger was glaring at her out of nowhere.

"N-Never mind..." She continued, looking to her left.

"Sorry about that, she doesn't like sharing her food." Kiba apologized, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Feeling his touch, Ishie's eyes went white, and a blush filled her face as it began shaking like a windup toy. Being up close to her was enough to make him notice it... though he had no idea why it was happening.

"Hey, are you OK?" Kiba asked.

Ishie didn't hear him at all, though Koneko wasn't as oblivious to the situation as he was.

"The girl's got a crush on you, get a clue Mr. Nice Guy." She replied without any restraint.

"Wait, what?" Kiba replied.

If Koneko wasn't holding a chocolate bar at that moment, she would have face palmed herself, so instead she just sighed. It was hard to tell if Kiba was just acting dumb about his club of admirers, or he honestly didn't notice.

Luckily, her reply got his hand off Ishie's shoulder, causing her awareness to return at a vital time.

"Ah, so you're the new girl." Akeno remarked.

Ishie blinked before noticing Akeno Himejima walking towards her, blushing as she realized what she had been doing and coughed twice.

"U-Uh... hello, my name... is Ishie Hyoudou..." She greeted, holding out a shaky hand.

"There's nothing to be nervous about, everyone here is super nice." Akeno reassured her.

"I-I swear that I'm not usually this awkward..." Ishie apologized, not wanting to say that Kiba had been the cause of her strange reaction.

The sound of a faucet turning off was heard, Ishie turned to notice Rias walking out of a shower, based on the towel she was drying off with.

'There's a shower in here!?' She thought, questioning why a club room needed on.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. I know it's terribly rude, but it was really hot day, and I didn't want to feel sticky from the sweat." Rias apologized.

"N-No, it's fine. I don't like feeling like that either." Ishie replied with reassurance, waving her hands out.

Once she dried her towel, Rias sat at her desk, with Kiba and Akeno sitting at one couch. Realizing that only the spot by Koneko was empty, Ishie nearly sat by her, scooting away to avoid getting too close to her chocolate.

"So, you invited me here... any particular reason for it?" She inquired.

"There is. We'd like to formally welcome you to the Occult Research Club." Rias replied.

That caught Ishie's attention.

It was common knowledge that Rias ran this club that was based on occult studies, mostly believed to be due to being a transfer student from Northern Europe, where there were plenty of mythologies and countries where such a topic had plenty of sources to study from. However, as seen by the four members present, it was the kind of club that one could only join through invitation.

While this would feel like a big honor normally, right now? Ishie felt more nervous and afraid than blessed.

"But you should know that's just a small part of why I called you here. For why I really did... remember what happened at the park last night?" Rias continued.

"What!?" Ishie gasped.

She stood up, walking away from the four as if she was in some kind of trap.

"How do you know about my nightmare? I... I think I should-" She questioned, feeling like she should run.

"You can leave if you want, but don't you want this back first?" Rias replied.

Ishie's eyes widened as she saw Rias pull something into view, something she shouldn't be in possession of.

Her diary.

"But... but that's!" She gasped.

Looking into her bag, she noticed her diary wasn't there. Looking at Rias, her eyes asked a question that she didn't need to say with words, which is when Rias' face became serious.

"That's right Ishie, it wasn't a dream. It was all real." Rias revealed.

Letting that all sink in, Ishie felt her legs buckle before she fainted.

* * *

Groaning as a few minutes passed and her fainting spell ended, Ishie looked up to see her head on Rias' lap, who was also rubbing her head.

"Sorry for making you faint like that, but I felt that unless we put the pressure on that revelation, you wouldn't have believed us." Rias apologized.

"Yeah, you weren't wrong." Ishie admitted.

Sitting back up, she shook her head as Rias held her diary out to her.

"Oh, thank you. You don't know how mortified I'd have been if I had realized that I lost this the other day." Ishie smiled.

She briefly paused after that.

"You didn't read any of it, right?" Ishie asked, a nervous trickle of sweat going down her face.

"Don't worry, I respected your privacy." Rias reassured her.

Realizing this wasn't something to walk out from, Ishie retook her seat next to Koneko instead of leaving, intent on listening to what happened in what she now knew had been an actual event from yesterday.

"OK, so I guess the first thing I should ask is... what happened to me? I don't remember anything between the park and waking up in my room." She inquired.

"I can assure you that you're still alive, but for a short period between then and waking in your room? An assassin had killed you." Rias revealed.

Ishie's eyes widen, suddenly holding her stomach.

'That was a phantom pain!?' She realized, almost throwing up.

Pausing for a moment, Koneko noticed Ishie looked like she might have a panic attack, and broke off a piece of her chocolate. Seeing this surprised Ishie a little.

"Don't say I can't feel sympathy." Koneko replied.

"Thank you." Ishie replied, accepting it.

Eating the piece she had been offered, she managed to take deep breath, allowing her to calm down slightly.

"Why was I killed though?" She asked.

"Because the one who killed you knew you had something dangerous, something you couldn't have ever known about had you continued living your life the way you've been." Rias answered.

Ishie raised an eye at that, looking confused.

"It's a divine treasure made by God, the Sacred Gear." Rias revealed.

"Sacred what?" Ishie replied.

"It's basically a very intense and unique power found in a rare few. The kind of _few_ that one would use to describe many historical figures." Akeno explained.

This caused Ishie's eyes to widen.

"No... way..." She said in disbelief.

"It's true. Unfortunately, this power can be seen as a threat to some, even though it isn't uncommon for someone to live their whole life and never realize they had this power until the day they die." Rias confirmed.

She left her chair, deciding to stand and rest against her desk.

"Now it's time you become aware of how to use it, for your own safety." She stated.

"Can't I just have it taken out?" Ishie asked.

"Sorry, but a Sacred Gear is bonded to its wielder on a level so great, that removing it would lead to the host's death." Rias revealed.

Ishie paled at that, giving a nervous laugh.

"OK, then... I guess this is happening..." She realized.

"Don't worry, this is easier than it sounds. Just start by standing up. After that, try to sense what part of your body is the strongest, and then focus on that strength." Rias reassured her, explaining the process.

Ishie took a deep breath, trying to do just that.

'Focus...' She thought.

Nothing happened at first, making her sweat as she tried to focus and push something out, making her cheeks puff out as her body shook.

"Ishie?" Rias said worriedly.

'Focus!' Ishie thought.

Her face started to get a little red, making it clear she wasn't trying to breathe anymore.

"Ishie!?" Rias called out, realizing this was going too far.

'Focus! Focus! Focus!' Ishie kept thinking.

It finally reached a point where her face went blue, which was finally where Rias drew the line and just trying to make her stop with her words alone and began shaking her.

"Ishie! Breathe!" She shouted.

Ishie finally did, unable to focus due to the shaking, and now feeling dazed from the lack of oxygen. Realizing she was OK, Rias sighed in relief.

"Here's some advice, trying to focus doesn't require you to stop breathing." Rias mentioned.

"Are you sure that I might have just been a false alarm or mistaken culprit for that assassin? Because I didn't feel any strength in any parts of my body." Ishie asked, rubbing her dazed head.

"This assassin would have never tried to kill you if they didn't see some kind of threat in you, it was no mistake." Rias answered.

Hearing that, her eyes widened as she remembered Rias had confirmed she _was_ dead, just like how one could be labeled clinically dead if their heart were to temporarily stop beating.

"Wait, how am I alive right now? By what you're telling me, and how I woke up, I was stabbed through the chest by something! How could anyone survive something like that!?" Ishie questioned.

Rias closed her eyes, once showing the same seriousness in her expression as when she confirmed her nightmare was a real event.

"Do you remember this?" She asked.

Ishie gasped as she saw the same flier she had received from that one girl.

"That was... that was your doing?" Ishie realized, covering her mouth slightly.

"It was. The other day, I noticed something unusual about your aura, and I was concerned that I may have not been the only one. Realizing I had to take precautions, I made sure you had that flier on hand in case you were to be attacked. I then had Koneko follow you to see if you would get attacked, or make it home safely." Rias explained.

"And then I was attacked at the fountain..." Ishie realized.

"That's right. After you had been killed, Koneko waited for the assassin to leave before taking the flier out, then used it to summon me before it was too late to save you. The only downside to this? Had you survived... we still would have brought you here, but you would have had a choice." Rias continued.

Ishie noticed a small look of guilt on her face as she said this.

"What's wrong? Why do you look kind of sad? What kind of choice did I have taken from me!?" Ishie begged, starting to feel scared.

"The choice... of staying human." Rias slowly answered.

Ishie stumbled onto her butt after hearing those words.

"S-Staying human? No, you can't be serious, the only reason you would say that is if you weren't..." Ishie replied, scared of what she'd hear next.

However, it wasn't words that were spoken next.

*"FLAP!"*

Ishie gasped as Rias unfolded a pair of bat wings as they would look from paper cutouts, with the rest of the ORC unfolding theirs to reveal they too had them. Ishie looked at her own back, realizing she may have her own that she had no idea to bring out.

"W-What are you?" Ishie asked.

"Allow me to reintroduce myself. My name is Rias Gremory, and I'm a Devil." She answered.

Ishie gasped.

"D-Devil?" She squeaked out.

She fell back to faint again, but this time? She hit her head too fast to black out, causing her to stay awake, and making the pain in her head get rid of her current anxiety.

"Huh... I thought that only worked on TV." Ishie remarked, feeling calmer than before.

"We can give you a moment before we continue if you'd like?" Kiba offered.

"Yes please." Ishie immediately accepted.

* * *

In the ruins of a Church in Kuoh Town, the sight of a black-haired girl with wings like a Crow's landed near the building from above, revealing she wore a short white dress with a light purple jacket on top, a black skirt, and black sandal pumps.

Walking inside, she held a confident look over the work she had done yesterday and today, but before she got far into the church's interior...

"I wouldn't be smiling right now." A male voice warned.

Turning her head, she saw a man wearing a fedora and trench coat with sinister eyes looking at her.

"And what makes you say that? I've made sure she's on her way, and dealt with that girl. Things are-" She replied.

"That _girl_ is still alive." He revealed.

Hearing that, the girl immediately felt anger hit her as she turned to him.

"I'm sorry, could you repeat that?" She demanded, gritting her teeth.

"She's alive. That Devil from the House of Gremory just happened to notice her power and set up a way to save her, I verified it myself since you didn't decide to do more than let her bleed to death. Because of that, we not only failed to kill her, but we gave her to the Devils!" He replied, pointing out all her mistakes.

Growling a bit, she walked up to him with a glare in her eyes.

"If you're going to point fingers, then you can be the one that kills that bitch. I think you've made it clear you should have no problem with that." She stated.

He growled, but didn't fight it.

"As you wish, Lady Raynare." He replied.

Flapping his wings, he vanished through a magic circle, with Raynare gripping her fist slightly.

"I'll have what I need soon enough, and then not even those Devils will survive." She promised.

* * *

Ishie drink a cup of tea made by Akeno, looking relaxed after she did.

"Ah, that was good tea." She praised.

"Thank you." Akeno smiled.

Putting her cup down, she turned her attention back to Rias.

"So, I'm... a Devil?" She said.

Rias nodded, knowing nothing else needed to be said.

"Then... what about the others?" Ishie inquired.

"I was born a Devil, and like you, everyone else in this room was turned into a Devil, though most of them chose it." Rias answered.

"And there wasn't any other way to save me without making me one?" Ishie asked.

"There was a way to do this, but we didn't have access to it, or the time to do so. I needed Koneko to summon me because if she hadn't, I most likely wouldn't have been able to make it to you in time." She apologized.

Ishie sighed at that.

"At least you tried, guess I should be thankful for that much." She accepted.

"I should also mention this, how I saved your life also means you now serve under my household." Rias added.

Ishie gave Rias a confused look in response.

"The way us Devils revive others as our kind acts as a servant under a master. Luckily, the Gremory Family prefers to treat our servants like family, so there's no need to worry about me acting like you're a maid." She explained.

"U-Uh... that may have been a little TMI." Ishie awkwardly remarked, closing her eyes as she felt a drop of sweat form on her cheek.

Rias giggled at that.

"I'm guessing this is why I've been invited to join your club, isn't it?" She continued.

"In a sense. The main job we Devils do is grant powers to Humans for a power we both agree on, through house calls and being summoned by the fliers like the one you had, since drawing up magic circles began more complicated as we approached the modern age." Rias explained.

She formed a magic circle, making Ishie gasp in surprise, and packets of fliers appeared besides her desk.

"Normally, we have our Familiars make the deliveries, but as a new Devil, I think it'll benefit you to learn what goes into this job." Rias suggested.

"So, basically I'm a newspaper girl? I think that's workable... wait, do I have to do this at night?" Ishie remarked, quickly realizing when she'd do it.

"Don't worry, as a Devil, you'll be able to see better at night. You also have better senses, reflexes, and physical ability. Most importantly, if you're in danger, your new Devil instincts will warn you of them." Rias reassured her.

"Oh, then I guess there's nothing to worry about." Ishie realized.

Pausing for a moment, something came to her mind, and she looked at Rias.

"By any chance... are their rules about telling people about us? I'm not saying I'd blab or anything, but... well, it's just that..." She asked, scratching her cheek.

Rias wasn't sure what she meant, but she had a feeling Ishie was asking because of a personal concern more than a specific reasoning.

"Normally we don't, but depending on what's troubling you, an exception is possible." Rias replied.

"It's my two friends, Murayama and Katase. I'm not sure if any of you know, but I have a bit of a reputation as a... vivid daydreamer." Ishie mentioned.

Rias nodded at that.

"Well... because of that, they usually notice if something's off with me, and if I have to keep this a secret... I'm worried they might try to figure things out and that could lead to trouble. I guess what I'm saying is... if I told them, then it might be safer because they'd understand and listen me explain what they shouldn't do." Ishie explained.

She then blushed a bit.

"And... I don't want them getting the wrong idea about me being in the same club as Kiba." She mentioned.

"Somehow, I had a feeling that would be part of this." Koneko remarked.

Ishie blushed in embarrassment as she heard that, with Rias nodding in understanding.

"Tell me, do you trust they can keep a secret?" She asked.

"I'd trust them with my car keys if I had a car." Ishie replied, not hesitating at all.

"Then I'll allow it." Rias permitted.

Ishie sighed in relief before smiling. She was fairly sure she'd be unable to keep this a secret from them, so having the green light to tell them was a huge weight off of her shoulders.

"If you'll excuse me for a moment, I should let my parents know I've joined a club and will be coming home later than I did before, and let my friends know I'd like to talk to them about this tomorrow, so I can find us a private spot." She requested.

"Go ahead." Rias replied.

Ishie walked into the hall, opening her phone as she made her calls.

* * *

An hour passed, and the moon began to illuminate the now night sky as Ishie rode a bike towards the school building, walking inside as Rias noticed her return.

"I've delivered all the fliers." She stated.

"Really? At your speed, I'm impressed." Rias praised.

Ishie rubbed her cheek in a bashful manner, letting out a slightly embarrassed laugh.

"I'd like to send you home now, but Koneko needs a little help, so would it be a problem for you to help her out?" Rias asked.

"Not at all, what does she need?" Ishie asked.

"She's been double booked with two summon requests, so I'd like you to take one of them." Rias explained.

Koneko, who was once again eating a Popsicle, looked at her.

"It'd be super rad if you could." She asked, bowing slightly.

"So, I basically go to someone's house and help them with something? Isn't that kind of early for me considering that power thing? I mean, I still can't get my wings out." Ishie replied, unsure if she could succeed.

Rias smiled at her.

"Don't worry, this should easily be within your ability to do. The experience might benefit in how you explain everything to your friends tomorrow." She reassured her.

Ishie paused at that, thinking on those words.

'Hmm... good point, visiting someone that's seen a real Devil might help be a good basis to start from.' She thought.

Thinking on it a bit longer.

"Alright, I'll take the summon." Ishie decided.

"Akeno?" Rias replied.

"Right." She nodded, walking to part of the room.

Holding out her arms, a large magic circle formed around Akeno's feet, making Ishie's eyes widen.

"Probably should have asked earlier, but is that magic?" Ishie inquired.

"It is, and you'll learn how to use it on your own soon enough." Rias confirmed.

Hearing that, Ishie screamed in excitement.

"If you had started the whole Devil explanation with that, I'd have been on board from the start! I get to live one of my fantasies!" She exclaimed.

Rias giggled a bit, finding that kind of reaction a fresh breath of air.

"Keep that enthusiasm and you'll do fine." Rias stated.

"OK, here I go!" Ishie declared.

Stepping into the magic circle as Akeno left it, Ishie prepared to make the jump, when suddenly...

*"BOOM!"*

Everyone stared in at Ishie's form, now a little crispy and with all her clothing, other than her bra and underwear, either burned or torn, with surprise. Blinking a few times, she looked at herself and then the others.

"The hell? What just happened?" She asked, coughing once again.

"Whoopsie." Akeno remarked.

"Hold on, does this mean I can't use magic or something?" Ishie paled.

"The opposite actually. If you didn't have any, the magic circle would have simply fizzled, so the fact it exploded means you have great potential. The problem is you have no idea how to use it." Rias explained.

Ishie sighed in relief, glad her one fantasy didn't die.

"Then I have two questions. How do I get to the client now, and do you either have a spare uniform or a way to repair this one?" She asked.

"There's another way, and Akeno can take care of that." Rias answered.

Shortly after that was said, Ishie was once again riding the bike on her now restored uniform, courtesy of a spell she was definitely going to ask Akeno to teach her once she learned how to use her magic.

"Eh... as awkward as this is, at least I won't be going to this summon half-naked." She said to herself.

Following the directions on a device that led her to the house of her client, she eventually found herself at a small apartment area, stopping by a door with a flower design to it.

"Hmm, looks the client's a girl." Ishie realized.

Parking the bike, she walked up to door and knocked on it.

"Hello, did you by chance summon a Devil from the House of Gremory?" Ishie asked.

The door opened to show a woman with messy hair and wearing baggy clothes, yawning as she entered the door and looked at Ishie.

"I thought you Devils were supposed to just pop in, or was I just out of it when I was told that?" She questioned.

"No, we do, but... I kind of blew myself up when I tried to appear that way. Because of that, I had to come here on a bike." Ishie admitted, an embarrassed blush on her face.

The woman nodded, pointing at her.

"I had a similar problem blowing out a fuse every time I used a hair dryer. Anyways, since you're here now, come on in." She replied, opening the door more.

Ishie walked inside, seeing her apartment was a mess.

"Oh my..." Ishie breathed.

"This is why I needed a Devil's aid. I've been on a death march due to work until today, and if I can't get this apartment clean, my landlord says he'll throw _everything_ out. I'd try cleaning it myself, but I might pass out at this rate." The woman explained, rubbing her eyes.

'You can ask a Devil for something so simple? That would explain why Rias was sure I could do this.' Ishie realized, letting out an awkward laugh in her mind.

"So, is this too much to ask for?" The woman asked.

"No, I can handle this. Just take a rest for now and I'll wake you up when I need the pact." Ishie smiled.

The woman sighed in relief.

"OK, my bedroom's the first door on the right." She replied.

Ishie nodded and began picking up all the trash she should find, while putting anything that wasn't trash and wasn't sure was trash in bins for her client to organize later.

* * *

After what she was sure had been at least half an hour, Ishie began pushing her bike across a sidewalk, currently on the phone with Rias.

"Once I was done, she gave me the pact, and now I'm heading back before I go home. Did I do the job right?" Ash asked, sounding nervous.

"Don't worry, you did well for someone new to contracts." Rias reassured her.

Ishie sighed in relief upon hearing that.

"Just know you won't get a contract from everyone. While you should focus on making as many contracts as you can, don't treat it like you have to get one. The occasional failure is the best way for you to learn and grow." She advised.

"OK, see you soon." Ishie replied.

She closed her phone, but right as she did? Her body felt a chill out of nowhere. It was a terrifying, overwhelming feeling, not unlike the fear of walking home alone in the dark of the night.

And despite that being what she was technically doing right now, she was fairly sure that wasn't what set off this feeling in her gut.

'Wait, Rias said my instincts can sense danger! Is this the assassin from last night?' Ishie realized, turning around.

"Just as I expected. Not only did she fail to kill you, but you're now part of the Gremory Family. The good news is you riding a bike proves that I've still got the chance to destroy you." He stated.

Ishie wasn't sure what to do, and took a glance at the environment around her.

"My name is Dohnaseek, and sad to say, but this is the night you die." He stated.

Taking flight, she noticed his black Angel wings.

"You're a... Fallen Angel!" She realized.

He immediately tossed a spear of light at Ishie, making her eyes widen as she jumped away, surprising herself at the distance as she fell upon touching the ground.

'I didn't expect that, but there's no doubt... that was what I glimpsed before dying! This guy has to be related to the one who killed me!' She realized.

"Lucky dodge, but you won't survive on luck alone!" Dohnaseek stated.

Smirking as he readied another light spear, Ishie panicked as he threw it at her, knowing she shouldn't dodge it this time.

'Rias said I have that power inside me, I need to use it... focus Ishie!' She thought to herself.

She gritted her teeth and closed her eyes.

**"Focus!"** She screamed.

A burst of power was released from her body, surprising Dohnaseek as a strong wind blew him back, right before his light spear was smashed to pieces.

"What!?" He screamed.

Ishie kept screaming as the burst smashed into Dohnaseek's form, burning his form like a raging wildfire.

Hearing him scream, Ishie looked at his burning form reached out to her in a vain attempt to reach her.

"This... this can't be! Just what are you!?" He demanded.

At that moment, Ishie saw him dissolve away, leaving some of his feathers behind as they floated towards the ground. Looking at her hands, she questioned what they just managed to do.

"Did... did I really just win?" She asked herself.

She always saw herself as the princess the hero needed to rescue, but just now... she had been her own hero!

* * *

Rias listened to Ishie finish her story.

"That wasn't your Sacred Gear, I can say that much. What you did there was your own ability." She revealed.

"Seriously?" Ishie replied with surprise.

"Yes, seriously. It's something you should truly consider an accomplishment for someone who's only been a Devil for a single day." Rias confirmed.

Ishie just stared in disbelief.

"We haven't even taught you anything, yet you beat a Fallen Angel. I'm so proud of you." Akeno praised.

Ishie chuckled, soon smiling a bit.

"So, that guy really was a Fallen Angel... I'm guessing that means they're the enemies of Devils?" She assumed.

"Yes, as are the normal Angels sent down by God." Rias confirmed.

She soon made a concerned face.

"And speaking of enemies in general... I worry we're in a difficult position. Not only did the Fallen Angels realize you were alive in just a day, but they're aware you're one of us, which means something's going on around here." Rias mentioned.

Ishie winced at that.

"Was it a bad thing that I killed that Fallen Angel then? I didn't intentionally do it, but..." She asked.

"No, if anything, this buys us a little time before his allies will act. Fallen Angels lack the same support the Devils and Angels have, so they have to act more covertly." Rias clarified.

"Because they don't have anyone equivalent to God or Satan, right?" Ishie realized.

"Right, and because of that? They won't find it strange if their ally doesn't return for a few days... though they'll notice eventually. You got lucky tonight, so we need to make sure that you'll be able to defend yourself if you get attacked while by yourself. There's no guarantee we'll be able to help you in time if this happens again." Rias replied.

Ishie gulped at that, not liking the thought.

"OK, so... when should we do this training?" She asked.

"Set your alarm for 4:30, because we'll start after meeting in the park at 5." Rias replied, smiling slightly.

Ishie's eyes widened at that.

"5 in the morning!? Oh man, then I'm going home and falling asleep now, bye!" Ishie exclaimed.

She immediately grabbed her bag and ran off.

"Rias, out of curiosity... what kind of aura did you notice from Ishie? Even now, I can't tell what kind of power she holds." Akeno asked.

"I don't think she's ready to know about this just yet, but... I think her Sacred Gear may be none other than the-" Rias answered.

Upon hearing what she said, her entire peerage showed a little surprise.

* * *

**And that's a rap for the first chapter. I went for big changes caused by small alterations, and while I don't know if said changes ended up fitting that context directly, at least things weren't identical to canon. Since Ishie is the only character that's a gender bend in this story, it didn't feel like there was any reason for Raynare to directly meet her, not to mention it helps her feel more like a starter villain who needed empowering if she killed Ishie without her noticing.**

**I also adapted some scenes in a different order, as rather than bring up the Devils first, Rias instead confirms Ishie's dream was real from the start, with the Devil part only coming after. The training scene with her and Rias will also happen earlier as the last scene mentioned, since to make up for a few areas that a Fem!Issei may have less of an impact due to not being a guy, Rias has a bit more skill and wisdom as a King.**

**Like I said above, Murayama and Katase will have a slightly bigger role compared to Matsuda and Motohama did, since while acting as Ishie's friends when it comes to anything that isn't supernatural? They're also going to be secret keepers due to her having a good feeling they'd find out anyways. It felt fitting since Ishie's dealing with a big change in her life and seeing her fantasies become reality in... realistic ways, so having her closest friends know helps a lot.**

**The last thing I need to say before we wrap this up is that for how strong Ishie is compared to Issei? Not much, at least right now, but this is only due to her already having magical ability where Issei lacked it to the point he couldn't jump through magic circles. The only reason she even has magic is because, and while exceptions exist as shown with Misteeta and Jeanne, when ignoring unique abilities and Sacred Gears, I've noticed most DxD girls prefer magic.**

**This in turn is why Dohnaseek got killed despite Ishie being barely stronger, because I find him and Raynare's group were weak enough that if Issei had done more than shred Kalawarner's clothes... she probably would have died. Main point, Ishie's powers focus more on the magical side than the physical side, and right now she wouldn't do that much better against certain opponents, such as Riser and Kokabiel.**

**Until next time everyone, and stay awesome! ^^**


	2. Weight of Reality

**Welcome back everyone! Chapter 1 was well received, and I hope some of the eventual mysteries this story brings will be as well. It was especially fun to see some people are already making guesses on who Ishie will end up with and those who found her powers' focus on magic as an interesting twist. If you liked those, then I already have a good feeling for the other V1 adaption's twists.**

**Anyways, since I've seen some guesses to who Ishie will end up with? It's probably best I tell you who qualifies, since there are a lot of characters, such as Freed Sellzen, that I'm sure nobody wants her to end up with. Those who can't be with her are those who are already married, Matsuda and Motohama, and some of the worse antagonists. For where I draw the line, that would be Sieg, since after him is Freed, as he's basically Sieg's evil counterpart.**

**Also, if there was anyone who felt Ishie took everything that happened to her in Chapter 1 too easily? I'll say now that was intentional for _just_ that chapter. I figured that having her see things happening close to what she expects in her fantasies is better for her character growth, but I'll talk more about it once we reach this chapter's end notes.**

**Now that I've gotten that out of the way? There's not much to say about this chapter beyond the expected training session, Ishie starting to form her bonds with the current members of the ORC, and with how this story's closer to canon... the influence and debut of Asia Argento! *cheers* Speaking of Asia, she's going to be a little different from her canon counterpart for a few reasons that I can only hint for now.**

**So, without further ado? Let's get this chapter started!**

* * *

**[Chapter 2 - Weight of Reality]**

It was almost halfway after 4 in the morning, and Ishie was currently in her room, sleeping as she hugged her pillow under the belief it was a handsome warrior in the dream she was currently having. A warm smile hit her face as the dream entered a point that made her turn back and forth.

Moving forward to kiss the pillow, she was suddenly jolted awake by her alarm going off. Looking at it, she saw it finally became 4:30, making her pout as she whacked it off the dresser.

"Why did you have to go off before I got to kiss him!?" Ishie screamed angrily.

She let out a sigh shortly after, and once she did, her mind finally focused on reality, mostly the fact that she was completely awake.

"That's weird, normally I take a while to wake up, and even then I'm still a little out of it." She realized.

Just for further proof, she rubbed her face and then her eyes, both of which seemed completely normal.

"Hmm... note to self, the moment you meet up with Rias, ask her if this is a thing for Devils so you know it for future reference." Ishie told herself, crossing her arms.

Once that was done, she opened her drawers and put on a spare of Kuoh Academy's gym uniform, snapping the shorts on before grabbing her shoes.

"OK, now to make sure I don't alert my parents." She whispered.

Slowly walking out of her room, she tip toed across the hall, briefly putting her ear near the door to her parents' room to see if they were still sleeping. Upon hearing nothing but her father's snores, she let out a silent breath of relief and made it downstairs without incident.

However, before walking out of the door, she walked into the kitchen to grab a breakfast bar and stop by a certain stand on the wall.

"Wish me luck." Ishie asked, making a prayer motion.

Walking out of the kitchen, she headed to the door, quietly opening and closing it before she began heading towards the park with a light jog.

* * *

Rias hummed as the wind blew through her hair, sitting on a bike as she waited for Ishie.

"Hey! Hey Rias!"

Turning around, she saw a slightly tired Ishie jog into view, stopping for a moment as she tried to catch her breath.

"Really should have... filled a bottle of water... before I left." She stated, taking deep breaths.

"Luckily, I came prepared." Rias smiled.

She tossed a drink bottle over to Ishie, who caught it and began drinking. As she did, she noticed it wasn't any kind of drink she was familiar with... though it was tasty!

"Whoa! Rias, what's in here? It's definitely not water." She asked.

"That's juice made from a fruit that helps restore magical power, a much better drink for a Devil to re-hydrate themselves with." Rias answered.

"Huh, so basically... it's liquid magic. That's pretty cool." Ishie remarked with interest.

Feeling her stamina go back to a manageable level, she tossed the bottle back to Rias.

"Speaking of Devil related things, is there any reason I feel like I'm wide awake and fully rested despite how little I slept and how early I went to bed?" She inquired, raising an eye.

"There is. Devils were originally creatures of the night, but after we started reincarnating others into our ranks, we had to change Hell's sky because they were more used to living in the sunlight. Because of that change, pure Devils soon adapted to it, so we don't need as much sleep or have trouble waking up fully refreshed." Rias explained.

"Whoa, really? That's a good perk to have." Ishie replied.

Taking a moment to stretch her limbs, Ishie decided to ask a few more questions about her new nature as a Devil while she had the chance.

"Say, if you're a Devil... then how does the word Demon apply to Devils?" She asked.

"It's just a Human word meaning the same thing, though we do call our special energy demonic power, which was likely where the term came from." Rias answered.

"OK, then is your leader Satan or Lucifer? That is... provided they're not the same person." Ishie asked.

"Both actually, in the sense we have Lucifer and three other Devils besides his wife Lilith on par with him called the Satans, who you might know as Leviathan, Asmodeus, and Beelzebub." Rias answered.

"Wait, just those four? I thought there was also a Mammon and Belphegor in that group?" Ishie questioned in confusion.

"There are Devil Clans by those names. However, they aren't considered on the same tier as the Satans themselves, who were the only four Lilith didn't give life to. However, they were among the earliest, alongside the Lucifuge and Abaddon Clans, and therefore some of the strongest and most influential members of our kind." Rias mentioned.

Ishie raised her eye weirdly at that choice of words, but decides to shrug it off.

"Got it, then... does being a Devil relate to... I mean, is it something the reason for you and Akeno being..." Ishie asked, blushing a little as she motioned to their figures.

Hearing that one, Rias giggled a little before smiling at her.

"It is, and don't worry about losing ground either. Devils grow way past when Humans stop, and with where you are right now, I wouldn't be surprised if you outgrew me and Akeno." She answered, winking as she did.

'I can't tell if she's exaggerating about that last part or not, although... I would definitely be happy if I had a figure that looked like either of theirs.' Ishie thought, briefly blushing at the thought.

Rias let her have a moment, fairly used to the girls at Kuoh Academy fawning over her, and then cleared her throat to get her attention.

"H-Huh? Oh, right... so how are we training me exactly?" She inquired.

"The rest of our club will be coming later for the more official training, since right now? We need to help you get more used to how your body reacts with the new strength it has. You don't want to have your attempts at evasion backfire every time you try to dodge, do you?" Rias explained.

Ishie remembered how Dohnaseek nearly got her, making an awkward laugh escape her mouth.

"Nope." She replied.

"Then start running some laps." Rias said with a smile.

She began riding her bike, which Ishie took as a sign to follow her as she began running, already feeling some sweat hit her as the sun started to come into view.

* * *

An hour went by before Rias finally stopped her bike, causing Ishie to collapse onto her knees, panting as she guzzled down a bunch of the magical energy drink.

"My legs feel like they've swallowed molten lava!" She shouted, panting after she did.

"Don't complain too much, all that running is letting your body adjust itself." Rias stated.

Ishie groaned, falling on her back.

"Now that's just melodramatic." She stated, giving an almost smug look at her.

"Tell me that when I see _you_ running that long!" Ishie retorted.

Rias immediately went quiet at that, knowing anything reply she made to that could be used against her, causing Ishie to take said silence as a small victory.

"Well, this is an interesting sight." A familiar voice remarked.

Her eyes widened as she shot up, her face sweating as she slowly turned her head to see Kiba, Akeno, and Koneko all looking their way. Like herself, Akeno and Koneko were wearing their school's gym uniforms, while Kiba had a gray tracksuit on.

"O-Oh, uh... h-hey there guys..." She said, forcing a smile to hide her embarrassment as she waved to them.

"Is she OK?" Kiba asked.

Koneko sighed and shook her head in response to his question.

"Alright, now that everyone's here? I think it's time you learn the most important part of how I saved you. To start things off, are you familiar with the game of Chess?" Rias stated, soon looking her way.

"I know how it works, but never actually played it. Why do you ask?" Ishie answered, looking confused.

Rias took out a chess piece made of some kind of red see-through substance, specifically a Queen.

"This is an Evil Piece, the technology we Devils use to reincarnate others into our fold. When one is reincarnated, they can be given one of any piece besides the King, which is the title given to the one who leads the group we call a peerage." She revealed.

"Whoa... so, servants in this case would be more like the retainers that served royalty or lords in ancient times?" Ishie asked.

"Yes, that would be a proper comparison." Rias confirmed.

Pocketing the Evil Piece, she resumed her explanation.

"And as such, each type of piece gives a special power to the reincarnated individual, usually to enhance skills and abilities they already have or could potentially develop." She continued.

"What kind of powers?" Ishie inquired.

"Rather than tell you, I'll show you through the rest of your training." Rias replied, smiling as she did.

Ishie felt a bead of sweat go down her cheek, suddenly feeling nervous.

'Does she become a dominatrix during training or something?' She wondered.

Her train of thought pulled its emergency break as a shinai was tossed her way, making her look up to see Kiba holding his own.

"W-Wait, I don't know how to use a shinai!" She panicked, waving her free hand.

"Can you hold it up to block?" Rias asked.

"Eh... I'm guessing that's enough?" Ishie replied.

Rias nodded her head, making her laugh nervously as she readied herself, and then... Kiba suddenly disappeared, making his eyes widen.

"What the-"

She had no time to react as she felt him appear by her side and whack her arm.

"Is he teleporting!?" Ishie exclaimed.

"No, he's just moving fast. Kiba is a Knight, which have the powers of speed and skill with a weapon, especially swords." Rias revealed.

'Kiba is... a real knight?' She thought.

Her blushed and let out a smitten giggle, leaving her open for Kiba to whack her on the head, making everyone wince as she fell over.

"Sorry, are you OK?" Kiba asked.

"That was my bad... and I'm fine. Just let my eyes stop spinning before we start over." Ishie replied, making a circle motion with her right hand.

Her hand fell back to the ground after saying that.

* * *

After her spar with Kiba was taken care of, Koneko and her stood across from each other.

"I want you to try and escape Koneko's grip, and don't try to hold back despite her looks." Rias stated.

"Wait, why am I-" Ishie asked.

She didn't get a chance to finish as Koneko pulled her into an arm lock, making her shout in pain. She tried to pull out of it, only for Koneko to easily tighten her grip with little effort.

"It feels like a Gorilla's doing this to me instead of her!" Ishie replied, wincing in pain.

"Because Koneko is a Rook, who possess incredible strength in both offense and defense." Rias revealed.

'Say what!?' Ishie thought.

Right at that moment, she felt Koneko tighten her grip, and then...

*"CRACK!"*

Everyone watched as she fainted, making her limbs become loose and her eyes turn into spirals as Koneko let her go.

"Whoops, guess I overdid it." She apologized.

"She only fainted, so she should wake up soon enough." Rias reassured her.

Ishie's downed form let out a mumbled sound as it laid across the ground.

* * *

Holding an ice pack on her head, Ishie groaned as she looked towards Rias, who was slightly sweating over the embarrassment of what happened with Koneko's part of training.

"Please tell me that I'm just this weak because I used to be human and training isn't supposed to hurt this much?" She begged.

"Don't worry, it is, although... maybe I also should have toned it down a bit." Rias confirmed as she apologized.

Ishie sighed in relief.

"Not to worry, what I'll be showing you doesn't require any kind of physical contact or having to spar with anyone." Akeno promised.

She sighed even more, letting the ice pack slip off her head.

"Next up is the Bishop, which is what you are." Rias stated.

"Based on what you've said so far, and how you've been saying I've got a lot of magic potential, I'm assuming it's related to that?" Ishie guessed.

"That's right, and it also gives you skills as a healer. Akeno will be showing you how to do this because while not a Bishop herself, she's my Queen, which has the power of all but a Pawn, which has the power to temporarily promote into anything besides a King." Rias confirmed.

Nodding her head, Ishie got on her feet.

"Alright, the first thing we'll do is practice a concentration exercise. Try to focus your magic and shape it into a visible sphere." Akeno stated, holding up her finger.

"OK, so... how do I do that?" Ishie asked.

"Visualization is the essence of all Devil magic, let your mind shape the form as if you were part of a river's flow." She explained.

Nodding her head, Ishie took a deep breath and started thinking of an orb. As she prepared to close her eyes... it formed between her hands!

"Look, I did it!" She cheered.

"So fast!" Rias exclaimed in surprise, not expecting such speed.

"That's amazing Ishie, with how quickly you did that, I think you've got as much game as I do when it comes to magic." Akeno praised.

"Are you serious?" Ishie asked, feeling it was an exaggeration.

"I am, but now you have to overcome the hard part, which is learning how to properly apply that vision beyond manifesting it. To give you an example..." Akeno confirmed.

She held out a bottle of water, then placed her hand over it... causing the water to spike out as ice.

"Holy freaking crap!" Ishie exclaimed.

"Controlling the elements, shaping them into attacks, and even healing are all specific forms of magic you need to learn to shape yours into. Try turning the ice back into water and you'll see what I mean." Akeno explained.

Ishie slowly moved her hand over the bottle, trying to think of the ice turning back into water, but nothing happened.

"Please tell me Math and Science aren't involved in this. Those are my worst subjects, especially Science." She pleaded.

"Not one bit, all it takes is your imagination. You just haven't grasped the right technique in how to make your thoughts take more complex forms than manifesting demonic power. Once you can, the rest should come naturally." Akeno reassured her.

Ishie let out a sigh of relief.

"So, how exactly do I try to figure out that technique? I doubt just making a bunch of magical orbs is the answer." She inquired.

"Try using it for simple tasks, like for cooking, then work your way up. It's not unlike learning how to ride a bike." Rias answered.

"Alright, so... what now?" Ishie replied, tilting her head slightly.

"Why not try making a magic circle to transport yourself to your room? It's probably best you head back home before your parents wake up and notice you're gone." Rias suggested.

Hearing that caused Ishie to flinch.

"Oh man, you're right. I'll see you all at school then!" She exclaimed, waving her arms around.

Forming a magic circle for her, Akeno giggled at her reaction as Ishie tried to make the jump.

This time, it actually worked.

* * *

A few hours passed until the lunch bell rang for Kuoh Academy's High School division, with Ishie waiting at the private spot she asked Murayama and Katase to meet her at.

"OK, breathe Ishie... breathe. You can do this!" She breathed.

Right after she said that, she began biting her nails slightly.

"Damn it, that didn't help my nerves at all! I'm still freaking out right now!" Ishie groaned, biting her nails even more.

"Ishie?" Katase replied.

She jumped slightly, seeing the kendo duo had appeared while she was talking to herself.

"O-Oh! Katase, Murayama! Didn't realize you were already here." Ishie replied, blushing with embarrassment.

Both of them gave her strange looks, making her sweat a little.

"Something's seriously up here, because you're usually not this nervous unless you have a big secret or particularly embarrassing fantasy." Murayama remarked.

"It's... Option A in this instance." Ishie admitted.

"Called it." Katase sighed, placing a hand on her forehead as she shook it.

'Stop making this harder!' Ishie begged.

Sighing as she sat on the ground, followed by a deep breath, Ishie looked at her friends with all the seriousness she could put in it.

"Remember how yesterday... I mentioned that possible nightmare, and then... Kiba was sent to fetch me?" She asked.

"Yeah, that was kind of out of nowhere." Katase recalled.

"Well, it turns out... that wasn't a nightmare, and the two things were related to each other." Ishie admitted.

Both of them went silent, any words they had being silenced by their closed moves and somewhat frozen stares.

"Yeah, might wanna sit down for the rest of this." She continued.

And they did just that, with Ishie sighing as she tried to figure out the best way to word the start of this long revelation. In the end, it seemed like the only way to do this was to just rip of the bandage as her mother always told her.

"It turns out... I was actually dead for a while." Ishie revealed.

"Wait, wait, wait! Hold the phone... it almost sounded like you said you were dead." Murayama replied, a nervous sweat forming on her face.

"Because I did." Ishie confirmed.

Murayama's response to that? Opening up her bento and stuffing some of her food into her mouth, which muffled the scream she let out.

"T-That's not funny Ishie, you need to reign your fantasies in." Katase laughed, currently in denial.

"Katase, Murayama? You know my how my fantasies work. Just to emphasize that, have I ever told you one of them had me dying?" Ishie replied, closing her eyes.

At that moment, Katase did the same thing as Murayama just had... then shook Murayama's body.

"She's never had a fantasy where she dies!" She panicked.

"Stop shaking me! I already know, and I'm trying not to freak out because it's obvious why Kiba visited our room is related to that, and that _will_ make me freak out!" Murayama replied.

"Right now, you two are freaking _me_ out." Ishie replied.

Realizing how crazy they looked, the kendo club captains managed to calm themselves down to a more reasonable level.

"Continue..." Katase replied.

"After that, the ORC invited me to join their club, and that's how I learned everything, including how I was still alive. See, the reason why you can't just join the club out of nowhere is because all four of its members, or rather five including me, are... Devils." Ishie revealed.

Both of them blinked, followed by a forced laugh.

"OK, now we know this is part of your fantasies. Saying you're a Devil is just-" Katase replied, still laughing.

Ishie stood up and walked to a nearby rock, which she threw into the sky. A few seconds later, it twinkled.

"Still think I'm joking?" Ishie inquired.

"No..." Both of them replied.

Opening her bento, Ishie took a moment to eat her lunch before continuing.

"All I really know is that a Fallen Angel killed me because I have some kind of hidden power she saw as a threat, and it was so sudden, I only know she's a girl because of an ally of hers that tried to get me last night. Rias had set things up to make sure she could save me, and... now I'm a Devil because of how saving me worked." She continued.

Her friends were silent for a moment, and then...

"There really wasn't anything else they could have done?" Murayama asked.

"I'm afraid not. If the assassination hadn't happened, they'd have at least offered me a choice about becoming a Devil or not, so Rias could only prevent my death." Ishie answered.

"Are there any downsides to it?" Katase asked.

"Not really. I'm not seeing any problems in being in the sun, I forgot to wear sunscreen while training earlier and didn't get burnt at all, and I'm able to see perfectly in the dark of night. If there's any downside, I'm guessing that touching anything related to either kind of Angel and their attacks will hurt." Ishie answered, not completely sure.

Rubbing her head, she continued.

"Anyways, the reason I'm telling you all of this is because I had a feeling you'd find out anyways, and it might get messier if you learned the truth through that, since there's a reason this is all secret... albeit I'm unaware of what said reason is. That, and I trust the both of you." Ishie smiled.

Hearing that, the two smiled a bit, with tears forming in Katase's eyes.

"Whoa, are you-" Ishie asked.

"I'm not crying, you're crying!" She shouted, rubbing her eyes.

Ishie flinched at that, followed by her letting out an awkward laugh.

"Glad you trust us enough to tell us this. We'll promise to keep it secret, just... promise that you'll be OK with whatever you do?" Murayama replied.

"Sure thing. In fact, maybe you could become regular clients of mine?" Ishie promised.

Both of them gave confused looks.

"Right, I should probably explain what that is next." She realized.

* * *

As the final bell of the day rang, Ishie packed her things as Katase and Murayama walked up to her.

"So, should we go talk to Rias to let her know you told us about everything?" Murayama inquired.

"Hmm... yeah, I guess so. While she did agree to let me tell you guys, there may be some other ground rules she might want to tell you, and I'm still learning how everything works myself." Ishie replied.

She then noticed she was missing something.

"Aw crud. You two mind meeting me there, I think one of my notebooks fell out of my bag when it was in my Gym locker." She requested.

"OK, see you there." Katase replied.

Watching the two walk off, Ishie headed over to the girls' locker room and found her locker. Though just as she was about to use her combination, her hand stopped a few inches from the knob.

"Wait, maybe this is a good chance to try what Rias told me." She realized.

Focusing her magic on the door, she heard the lock undo itself and she opened it with little effort, making her smile at her achievement.

"Alright!" She quietly cheered.

She quickly spotted her notebook and grabbed it, putting it in her bag.

"OK, now to join everyone at the club room." Ishie smiled.

Ishie walked outside, but just as she was about to walk towards the old school building...

"Ah!"

She stopped and turned her head, seeing a teenage girl wearing a habit lying on the ground.

"Oh no, I fell down again! I'm such a klutz!" She said, having trouble getting back up.

"Hang on, I'll help you up!" Ishie shouted.

She rushed over and helped her back onto her feet. As she did, she saw the girl in question had long blonde hair and green eyes with a clear look to them, also wearing brown boots and a silver cross around her neck alongside her habit.

Her age seemed to be around if not the same as Ishie's own, having a figure that looked to be somewhere between Murayama's and her own, and emitted this strange air of purity around her.

However, Ishie was ignoring all of that, having been frozen in place the moment she saw her face.

"Um, excuse me? Are you OK?" She asked.

"Huh? Oh, sorry about that. I've just... never seen someone with blonde hair as vivid as years." Ishie reassured her, quickly making up an excuse.

"I see. Anyways, thank you for helping me, that was very kind of you." The girl smiled, bowing in gratitude.

Ishie gave a bashful blush in response, rubbing her cheek with her finger as she slightly turned away.

"So, what's with the outfit? Cosplay?" She asked.

"Actually, I was just assigned to the Church here." The girl answered.

"Ah, so you're a nun-" Ishie realized.

Right as she said that, her eyes opened as her brain screeched to a halt.

"I'm sorry, can you repeat that?" Ishie asked.

"I was just assigned to the church of this town, why do you ask?" She replied, looking confused.

That was all Ishie needed to hear to confirm her confusion.

'Something isn't right here. The whole reason Irina and her family moved away 10 years ago was because the church shut down and they had to relocate due to her father's job, how could anyone be assigned to a church that's no longer active?' She thought.

Then it hit her as a look of surprise hit her face.

"My apologies, but I think whoever sent you here has their information out of date. The church in this town got shut down during the last quarter of the 90's." Ishie explained.

"Really?" She asked in surprise.

"Really. My childhood friend's father worked there, and he had to move because it closed without any warning." Ishie verified.

The girl looked disheartened.

"If that's true, what am I supposed to do now?" She asked.

"Don't worry, I have a friend that might be willing to house you for a bit while you get things sorted out, and I was just about to go and see them. Why don't you come with me and I'll see if she can help you out?" Ishie offered.

"Oh, thank you. That would be wonderful." She smiled.

Ishie smiled as she held out her hand.

"My name's Ishie Hyoudou, and you are?" She inquired.

"I'm Asia Argento." Asia greeted, taking the offered hand.

With everything set, Ishie took out her phone and began texting Rias, hoping what she was about to do didn't get _too_ messy.

* * *

Inside the old school building, Rias was currently finishing her talk with Murayama and Katase.

"I hope all of this is acceptable?" She asked.

"Of course, just make you protect Ishie?" Murayama replied.

"She's part of my household now, so I'll do whatever's in my power to keep her safe." Rias promised.

At that moment, her phone's text alert sounded off.

"Hmm?" She blinked.

Taking her phone out, she saw a message from Ishie, seeing it was a notice asking her to meet her outside for a brief moment due to something important.

"You'll have to excuse me for a moment, Ishie wants to speak to me in private." Rias apologized.

Walking outside, she looked around for her new Bishop, though she failed to see any sign of her.

*"KNOCK! KNOCK!"*

She turned to see Ishie's hand hitting the side of the wall, followed by her peaking her head out as she motioned towards her.

"Over here." Ishie whispered.

'What's she up to?' Rias thought.

Following Ishie behind the wall, her briefly widened as she caught the sight of Asia, but before she could say anything?

'Don't say anything and just follow my lead until I can move us away to act like we're talking about something.' Ishie mouthed, waving her hand as she did.

Rias groaned and slightly nodded in response.

"Hey there Rias, sorry I'm a little late." Ishie greeted.

"It's fine, but why were you late? I'm assuming it's related to this new friend of yours." Rias asked, reluctantly playing along for now.

"Yep." She nodded.

With that, she pulled Rias towards the front of the old school building, where she got a more serious look. While Ishie was distracted, she failed to notice Rias summon her familiar to watch Asia from out of sight.

"Ishie, why did you bring someone tied to the church here!?" She whispered, her fury hidden by her aura.

"I know what you're about to say, anyone tied to heaven is our enemy and shouldn't be brought anywhere close to us, but that's also kind of the problem here!" Ishie whispered back.

"How so?" Rias questioned.

"Because she told me the reason she's even in this town is because she was just assigned to the church." Ishie answered.

That caused Rias' eyes to widen slightly.

"My reaction exactly. An old friend of mine and her family always went there, so it didn't make sense to me. Not only that, but you haven't mentioned anything about there being Angels in this town." Ishie continued.

"You're right, because they left when the church closed down... however, that may be where the Fallen Angels have set themselves up." Rias confirmed, adding another possibility into the mix.

Ishie's eyes widened.

"What? They can do that? I thought they were Angels who lost the grace of God?" She questioned.

"And you're right, but they still possess their powers over light. The main advantage they have against us is they aren't weak to darkness or light, existing between them, so they can inhabit a church as long as it's been abandoned beforehand... meaning that girl is either someone they've tricked for whatever they're doing, or a spy working for them." Rias clarified.

"Oh, so... was it a bad thing I brought her here?" Ishie nervously asked.

"No, I think you made the right decision here. While it isn't impossible, if she were a spy, then I'm certain she wouldn't have tried to get closer to us just to confirm you were alive due to the risks involved." Rias replied, certain they were safe.

Rias' familiar flew into view, landing on her hand.

"Anything suspicious?" She asked.

Her familiar shook its body and made a sound resembling a _nah_, making Rias nod her head.

"OK, thanks for watching her." She smiled.

Ishie blinked as her familiar disappeared.

"Wait, watching? Were you spying on Asia?" Ishie asked.

"Just as a precaution, and it only served to confirm if she was a spy or not. She's stayed where she is and hasn't done anything more than slightly sway to pass the time. I can safely say that she's not with the Fallen Angels at all." Rias reassured her.

Ishie sighed in relief.

"So, do you think it's possible to watch her for a while, at least until this Fallen Angel mess is sorted out?" She asked.

"Considering the circumstances? It's probably best we do, otherwise we risk them learning you're still alive while you still aren't ready to defend yourself. We'll just have to make ourselves look like Magicians acting as students." Rias answered.

Ishie smiled at she heard that, and the two walked back towards the still waiting Asia continued waiting, getting her attention.

"Sorry for the wait. Ishie explained everything to me, and I think our club should be able to accommodate you, at least for a little while." Rias smiled, closing her eyes as she did.

"Really? Thank you so much." Asia smiled back.

"Now, let me help you get set up." Rias offered.

They walked inside the club room, and as Ishie prepared to follow them, she suddenly felt a chill in her veins.

"Huh?" She blinked, turning around.

Ishie looked for the sign of anything dangerous, but didn't notice anything, and noticed she didn't feel too nervous.

"Maybe it just the wind." She assumed.

Finally walking inside, Ishie failed to notice someone flashing a creepy smile towards where she had just been standing.

* * *

Inside the old school building's kitchen, Ishie was currently seen standing by a pot of water and various ingredients, deciding to make a small snack for everyone while also developing her magic skills.

"OK, let's see... water, please boil?" She said to herself, putting her hand over the pot.

Seconds after she said those words, the water started bubbling as some heat built up.

"I'm getting the hang of this." Ishie smiled.

"Unfortunately, but you'll have to practice your magic some other time." Rias interjected.

Ishie turned to Rias as she walked into the room.

"What's up Rias, is something wrong?" She asked.

"Not at all, I just came to let you know you got your first summon request." Rias answered.

Ishie's eyes widened.

"What? Already?" She asked.

"You already got a pact from one of Koneko's clients, so she already knows you. If not her, didn't you throw out the idea to Katase and Murayama?" Rias reminded her.

After being reminded of that, Ishie blushed in embarrassment.

"Right... I did mention that to them." She recalled, letting out an awkward chuckle.

"Well, don't keep them waiting. Though you'll need to meet Akeno upstairs since we can't let Asia see us doing that." Rias replied.

"Got it." Ishie replied.

She headed upstairs, ready for her second summon request.

* * *

Arriving at the scene, Ishie opened her eyes... and felt a chill.

'Huh? What's going on?' She questioned.

Deciding to take a step forward, the chill shot through her veins as it got even stronger, making her start to sweat as she began to take deep breathes to try and calm herself.

'Wait, is it possible Fallen Angels are near this house? I can't stay here then!' Ishie realized.

Since she didn't know make a magic transport circle of her own, she tried call Rias, but when she expected to hear the phone ringing...

_"Sorry, the number you're trying to call can't be reached right now."_

'Huh? How can I not reach her right-' Ishie wondered, looking at the screen.

She then noticed she had no bars, meaning there was no way for any call she made to go through. A cold sweat began to form on her face as she realized her only option was to try getting out of the house without her client seeing her, then trying to make a call from there before any Fallen Angels could find her.

'OK, just be quiet and you should be OK...' Ishie told herself.

As she continued her attempt to leave the house, she got to what looked like a living room, feeling confident she'd make it through this.

*"SPLASH!"*

Hearing that sound, Ishie froze in place, struggling to keep herself calm.

'Avoid looking down, just destroy these shoes later.' She told herself.

Right as she tried to move again.

*"BANG!"*

She suddenly felt a burning pain in her left shoulder, making her scream as she held it with her right hand. She shook a bit before looking around the room, trying to find the source.

"Punish the wicked. Wise words from a holy man, don't you think?" Someone chuckled.

Turning her head, she saw a man bending his head over as he stuck his tongue out, letting Ishie get a good look at his clearly insane expression.

"W-Who are you?" She questioned.

"Freed Sellzen at your service, and unfortunately for you, this was the wrong house to come visit!" He answered.

He pulled out a sword with blade made of light and a white gun.

"No way, how could you summon a Devil? There's no way someone like you could have gotten a flier!" Ishie questioned.

"Why don't you ask your shoes?" Freed retorted.

Ishie felt her face freeze, her heart beating faster and faster as she desperately tried to think of something... _anything_ that might help her get out of this mess.

"Now, time to die Devil scum!" He shouted.

Aiming his gun at her, she immediately held out her hands and formed a magic shield, surprising herself at the feat.

'Run Ishie, run!' She told herself.

Taking off after that thought finished, she rushed towards the entry way opposite to where Freed was as she tried to run to safety, but he simply smirked and swung his light sword at her legs.

She screamed as they began to burn, collapsing on the ground as Freed walked towards her.

"Sorry, but it's end of the line for you sinner!" He announced, laughing at the end.

He began swinging his sword down, ready to cut her, and Ishie felt the world move in slow motion as her adrenaline kicked into overdrive. All her mind could focus on was a single question... how?

How could this be happening to her?

'Magic is real like in my fantasies, Kiba is like the Knight of my fantasies, Asia was like the kind maiden I've been in my fantasies, and... and my friends accepted me despite what I am now like my fantasies! Why... why am I about to die? This can't be real, it isn't real... right!?' Ishie thought.

She closed her eyes, tears forming in her eyes.

"Please, someone... anyone... help me!" She begged.

"Ishie!"

Freed's eyes widen as a sword was swung at him, knocking him back as he crashed into the couch.

"Ow!" He shrieked.

"Huh?" Ishie looked behind her.

She saw Kiba holding a real sword in his hands, making her tears flood out as he stood in front of a magic circle.

"We made it just in time guys!" Kiba smiled, looking behind him.

Next to walk out of the magic circle was Akeno, who gasped at the sight.

"Oh my, this is horrible." She remarked.

"If we had gotten here any later..." Koneko added, following shortly after her.

Freed got back on his feet.

"You're done here, sorry to disappoint you." Kiba declared.

"Oh, I'm not disappointed. This is so much better!" Freed smirked.

"Well, it's official... this guy is crazy." Koneko remarked.

"Now, show me what you've got before I kill you all!" He exclaimed.

"If you want it, then come and get it!" Rias announced.

Hearing that, a sudden blast of black and red energy fired out, making him move to the side as it vaporized everything it struck. Rias walked out of the magic circle, showing she was the one who cast the strange attack.

"Rias..." Ishie weakly said, feeling herself getting weaker.

Rias quickly hugged her close.

"I'm so sorry Ishie! Koneko noticed your energy signature disappear after we sent you over, and then we noticed a barrier that cut you off from everything but her senses. We had no idea we sent you straight into the hands of an exorcist." She apologized.

"So, that was why I couldn't call you... I'm glad... that..." Ishie replied, her breathing getting heavier.

Rias noticed her wounds.

"Stay strong, I'll heal you now." She promised.

Placing a hand on Ishie's stomach, she sent a flow of her demonic power through her body to help it heal.

"R-Rias... something's wrong, everything is... going black..." Ishie said weakly.

"Ishie? Ishie, what's wrong!?" Rias questioned.

That's when she noticed her wounds weren't healing, and moved her eyes around to look for anything that could be the cause of this, seeing where she got shot.

"Oh no... guys, Ishie's been shot by a holy bullet!" Rias warned.

Hearing that, everyone gasped, and then Akeno glared at Freed as she held up her hand.

"You just crossed a line... and now you're going to pay for it." She stated with a quiet tone.

Lightning sparked from her hand, leaving Freed to flinch as it bounced around the entire room, making even his usually lust for hunting Devils be overtaken by his survival instinct.

"Sorry for running off in the middle of a date, but I've got other plans!" He shouted.

Throwing a flash grenade on the ground, everyone was blinded as he disappeared. However, the ORC ignored this as they went through the magic circle, needing to help Ishie before it was too late.

* * *

Feeling her eyes shake slightly, Ishie slowly began to open them as all she could see was a blurred mess of colors, eventually making out the sight of Asia before her.

"Huh? What's going on? Asia?" She mumbled, blinking a few times.

"Oh, thank goodness." Asia smiled, sniffling as she wiped tears from her eyes.

Ishie was confused by what she meant, feeling her mind drawing a blank... until everything with Freed came back to her, making her shake as she remembered all the horrors she just experienced.

"Everyone said you were attacked while running out for an errand, and you were hurt so badly that you almost didn't... thank goodness." She explained.

However, Ishie heard none of it as she began to breathe heavily.

"I... I've gotta go." She quietly said.

She tried to rush out the door, but Koneko grabbed her by the wrist, making her jump slightly.

"You shouldn't go by yourself, let me help you home." She offered, looking somewhat worried.

Ishie stared for a moment, but silently nodded.

"Rias... will Ishie be OK?" Asia asked worriedly.

"Hopefully she will be, but... for right now, the shock of what happened has to overwhelming her." She replied, all while having a guilty look on her face.

Asia didn't say anything, making a silent prayer that something would help Ishie feel better.

* * *

Back at her house, a worried Mrs. Hyoudou was seen on the phone as her husband held her shoulders, currently on the phone.

"Please, if you see her-" She begged.

The door opened at that moment, causing her and her husband to turn around as Ishie silently walked in and closed the door, making her gasp as tears welled in her eyes.

"H-Hey mom..." Ishie quietly greeted.

"You can call off the search, she just came home!" Her mother shouted in relief.

Tossing the phone onto the couch, she rushed over to her daughter and hugged her.

"Oh Ishie, I was so worried when you didn't come home when you usually do and weren't answering your phone!" She cried, trembling into the hug.

"Young lady, where have you been!?" Her father questioned.

He tried to be a responsible parent at first, but once he noticed the dead look on Ishie's face, what had started as anger became concern as he realized something was very wrong. Something that implied she hadn't come home late of her own volition.

Tapping his wife's shoulder, she pulled her head back and let out a silent gasp as she finally noticed the lifeless and somber look on her daughter's face.

"H-Hey... Ishie, are you alright? Did something happen?" He asked.

"I... I need to be alone right now." Ishie replied, looking away.

She immediately ran upstairs, and as she did, her mother went silent as she tried to think of what happened to her daughter.

"My baby..." Her mother quietly cried.

Upon reaching her room, Ishie didn't even bother changing out of her clothes, just laying on her bed and curling herself up. Looking around the room, she eventually came to a pile of fairy tales books next to her bed... and threw her pillow at them.

'They're all lies... all of them!' She thought, closing her eyes as she began to cry.

Turning against the wall, she kept crying until it eventually put her to sleep.

* * *

Sunday morning came in a flash, with Ishie's mother walking up to her room and opening the door, holding a tray of breakfast for her. Looking inside, the sight of Ishie's uniform on the ground could be seen.

Her gaze changed towards the bed, where her daughter had pulled the covers over her head, showing she was already awake. Since she had her sheets over her, it left her unable to see her daughter dressed in nothing more than a lavender baby doll lingerie and panties.

"Hey, I brought you some breakfast." She offered.

"No thanks, I'm not hungry..." Ishie quietly refused.

That reply left her mother disheartened, and she tried to think of something to say for her daughter to be willing to talk with her.

"OK, then-" She tried to say.

Her words were interrupted as her daughter briefly moved her arm out, pointing at her fairy tale books.

"Get rid of them, all of them..." Ishie stated.

That reply nearly caused her mother to drop the tray, only catching it fast enough to save the food, leaving the drink to spill its contents across the tray and some of the floor.

"W-What did you just say?" Her mother asked, actually horrified.

"They're all lies... I don't want them anymore..." She replied.

Any words that had tried to form in Mrs. Hyoudou's mouth were immediately silenced, and she simply frowned as it was clear whatever was troubling her daughter? It had managed to nearly break if not entirely broke her to a point beyond where she could help her.

Putting the tray to the side for a moment, Ishie didn't even look as her mother walked in and gathered every book, and once she was out of the room... Mrs. Hyoudou covered her eyes and cried as she tried and failed to understand what could have pushed her daughter to this point.

'Ishie, what's happening to you?' She asked, hoping something would answer her.

Back inside her room, Ishie could be seen staring at the wall with only her phone beside her. She had been expecting someone from the ORC, or even just Murayama or Katase to have tried calling her by now, though maybe they knew it wasn't going to do them any good and decided to not even try.

After another hour passed, she got out of bed and after switching her lingerie for a normal bra, then throwing on a pink shirt and jean shorts. She walked out of the house and headed to the park as she simply sat on the swing set for a reason unknown to even herself.

"Ishie?"

Stopping as she heard it, she slowly turned her head to see Asia looking at her.

"Asia..." Ishie said at nearly a whisper.

"Ishie, I... can I ask you something?" She asked.

Ishie didn't reply, simply turning her head away and nodding her head, feeling it wouldn't be much.

"You're a Devil, aren't you?" Asia suddenly said.

Her eyes widened as she turned her head towards Asia, some life having come back to her eyes from how shocked she was to hear that question.

* * *

Sitting by a small pond and a small monument built around it, Ishie and Asia sat next to each other.

"So, tell me... when did you figure it out?" Ishie asked.

"Just this morning. Last night, everyone was acting like they were about to lose you, and then I looked at the bullet while no one was looking. It didn't make sense, that is... until I noticed it had been blessed with holy properties. To a Devil, such a thing could kill them because of how light is like poison to them." Asia revealed.

Ishie looked down in shame.

"I'm sorry, we never wanted to lie to you, but-" She apologized.

Asia put a hand on her shoulder, getting her attention.

"Even if I had known that before healing you, I would have still saved your life." Asia said, smiling at her.

Those words caught Ishie by surprise.

"Truth is... it wasn't the first time I've done that, and it's why I'm even here." She admitted, her smile not faltering despite the sadness now in her eyes.

"Wait, what?" Ishie said, looking confused.

A moment of pause followed before Asia finally answered, causing Ishie to let out a horrified gasp at what she heard.

"Excommunicated?" She repeated.

"It all started when I was a baby. I was abandoned by my real parents, who left me by a Church in Europe, and the sweet nuns there found me. They took me in, and became my family. My life was as normal as a nun would be, until a day this sick and dying puppy wandered into the church." Asia explained.

Deciding to listen, Ishie didn't say anything.

"Seeing his sad face, I prayed to God with all my strength that he would save him... and a miracle happened! The puppy recovered, but it turns out it wasn't God that saved him. It turns out I had the power to heal, and as a result, I was immediately taken to a larger church where I could heal people from around the world. Having such a power finally made me feel like I found my purpose in life." She continued.

"How could you be excommunicated with such a gift?" Ishie questioned, almost wanting to say the people of the church were idiots.

Asia looked at her, and then... it came to her.

"Wait, are you saying that it was because-" Ishie said, gasping as she did.

"That's right. While I had been unaware of the fact, a man I ran into had been a Devil, and I only realized this after he spread his wings the moment he was healed." She confirmed.

Her hand trembled slightly, briefly recalling their horrible words.

_"This girl has the power to heal Devils!"_

_"Demon!"_

_"She's a witch, burn her!"_

Ishie had no idea what to say, but... the fact was Asia had chosen to save her, despite the consequences she once faced for healing a Devil. This girl was a saint, regardless of what those bastards had labeled her.

"How could you heal a Devil though? Maybe I don't know everything, but shouldn't someone from the church only know how to heal an Angel or people with faith in God?" She asked.

"If my healing was a natural power, then it would have been, but it isn't." Asia revealed.

Holding out her hands, Ishie saw a pair of rings form on her middle fingers, making her gasp.

"No way... a Sacred Gear?" Ishie breathed.

"It's called Twilight Healing. It has the power to heal wounds, but as its name implies? It isn't limited to who or even _what_ it can heal." She explained.

"Of course. Twilight isn't just a phase of the day, but something that can be used to reference a combination of darkness and light." Ishie realized.

Asia nodded her head.

"They said anyone who had my kind of power was a heretic, and I had no choice but to run away, eventually finding myself here." Asia continued.

Ishie once again found herself speechless.

"This suffering must be a test of my faith, so if I can overcome these trials... my hopes and dreams will come true." She stated.

"What are your dreams?" Ishie asked.

"To make lots of lifelong friends, to get to know them well and do cool things, to be able to have fun together... and care for each other. It does seem kind of silly, doesn't it?" Asia answered.

Ishie didn't say anything, and then...

"Not at all. After all, you and I are friends, aren't we?" She replied.

Asia's eyes widened at that.

"Well, how could we not be? You didn't have to heal me or tell me that story at all. In the end, you chose to do both, and most of all-" Ishie replied.

She paused before she said what she was about to, coughing slightly.

"Besides, if you were excommunicated from the Church... then no one has the right to call you out for helping out that Devil, so maybe you've already found what you've been looking for by me finding you yesterday and bringing you to my club." She added.

"Ishie..." Asia smiled, feeling her eyes tear up.

However, that happy moment didn't last very long.

**[****Date A Live: Pride****]**

Shooting down from the sky, a strong wind hit the two, making them turn as they saw someone lightly tap their foot against the pond's surface.

"Finally found you." Raynare smirked.

Asia hugged Ishie close, shaking slightly at the sight of the Fallen Angel looking their way.

"Ishie, who is this?" She asked.

"I actually don't know, but... judging by her words? I'm looking at the one responsible for my rebirth as a Devil." Ishie replied, feeling her eyes shake slightly.

Asia gasped at that.

"That's right, so don't even think of trying to run away." Raynare confirmed, shooting her a glare as she gave her warning.

Forming a pink spear of light, Ishie felt her danger sense create a chill even colder than either Freed or Dohnaseek caused.

"Should I run for help?" Asia whispered.

"Bad idea. If you run off, she'll go after you before you can get anywhere." Ishie whispered back.

Raynare chuckled in reply.

"Smart girl you are, so how about I make this sporting and let you bring out your Sacred Gear, just so this isn't too one-sided?" She offered.

Ishie felt a bead of sweat run down her cheek.

"What's wrong? You have two left feet or something?" Raynare questioned.

"N-No, just didn't expect you to say that." Ishie bluffed.

She immediately tried to summon her Sacred Gear, hoping it would finally work, but just like before... nothing. Raynare stared for a bit before she realized what was going on and began laughing.

"You can't actually summon it? Oh god, that's hilarious! I can't believe my boss considered you someone to watch out for." She exclaimed, pointing her finger at her.

Ishie raised an eye at that.

It ended up being a nearly fatal distraction, as Raynare tossed her light spear at her. Ishie gasped and held up her hand to try making a shield... only for it to cut across her arm.

"Ah!" Ishie screamed.

Asia shook at the sight, with Raynare smirking at the damage she caused... though felt her eyes widen as Asia started healing her.

"Don't worry, I've got you." She reassured her.

"Thank you." Ishie replied, panting slightly.

'Twilight Healing... I think this can work in my favor.' Raynare thought, smirking as she had an idea.

She took to the sky and threw another light spear towards them, causing a small explosion.

"Gah!" Ishie screamed.

She was flung into the water, with Asia rolling across the ground before looking at her.

"Ishie, no!" She shouted.

"I spared her life on purpose." Raynare stated.

Asia turned, seeing the Fallen Angel land by her.

"After seeing the usefulness of your power, I'm willing to make a deal. Join the Fallen Angels, and I'll promise to ignore my orders to kill that girl." She offered.

Looking at Ishie, she saw her trying to get up, only to stumble from the aftereffects of Raynare's attack.

"No, don't listen to her Asia! I can-" Ishie shouted.

"Alright... I'll go with you." Asia relented, tearing up as she did.

Ishie froze at that.

"Smart girl, you made the right choice." Raynare smirked, wrapping her arms and wings around Asia like she was hugging her.

"Asia, stop! Don't do this!" Ishie begged.

"Goodbye Ishie, I'll miss you." Asia apologized.

Those words caused the light in Ishie's eyes to briefly disappear, freezing her in place as something echoed through her mind.

_"Goodbye Ishie... I'll miss you..."_

With that, Raynare took off with Asia in tow, leaving Ishie to shake before falling into the water.

**[****Insert Song End****]**

Tears flowed through her eyes before she blacked out, unaware of a familiar face gasping as they saw her in the water, prompting them to rush over to her.

* * *

Ishie felt herself spitting something out as she gasped for air as she shot up, taking deep breathes as she found herself in the old school building.

"Told you we didn't need CPR." Koneko remarked, flashing a thumb's up from a fist.

"Wait, what? Did you punch my stomach or something!?" Ishie questioned.

Koneko said nothing and simply turned her head away, causing Ishie to sweat nervously at how she dodged her question.

"Thank goodness my Familiar saw you while delivering fliers, or you might have drowned." Rias smiled in relief.

As Koneko began eating a box of donuts, Ishie blinked a few times.

However, it didn't take long for her to remember Asia giving herself up to Raynare.

"She has Asia! I've got to save her!" She exclaimed.

"Ishie, you're not going anywhere. There's no way you'll be able to do anything." Rias denied.

"But I-" Ishie replied.

Rias closed her eyes, and before anyone could react?

*"SLAP!"*

Koneko gasped before she could bite her next donut, with Akeno and Kiba similarly shocked at the sight of Ishie with a red mark on her cheek.

"Let me try one more time. If I say don't, you _don't_!" Rias shouted, finally putting her foot down.

Ishie rubbed her cheek, having nothing to say.

"If you were to rush into the Fallen Angels' stronghold right now, it would be suicide! You couldn't even defend yourself, much less fight back, so how would you expect to win and save Asia with that in mind!?" She continued, not holding back any punches with her words.

"Yeah, you're right... I'd definitely die." Ishie replied, knowing she was right.

"Good, so-" Rias replied, finally calming down.

"But even then, I would still try to save Asia." Ishie interjected.

Rias felt her eyes widen at that, making her annoyance return.

"Stop being unreasonable! Today and yesterday should have made it clear where you stand, and you still want to try? I don't know what kind of fantasies you've had, but face the facts! Reality is nothing like what you think it is when it comes to both your old life and everything you've learned since becoming a Devil!" She shouted, getting in Ishie's face.

"Like you're one to talk little miss perfect!" Ishie screamed back.

That caused Rias to gasp, and Ishie turned away as she sighed.

"Sorry... that was rude of me, and I know it. Believe me when I say that I'm aware you're trying to keep my safe. You say you view your servants as family, and that's the basis behind why you're trying to stop me." She apologized.

"Then you should-" Rias tried to say.

"But I've made up my mind. No matter what the danger, if I stay here and do nothing, then I'll regret it for the rest of my life!" Ishie exclaimed.

That silenced everyone, particularly catching the attention of everyone besides Rias, who saw her crying.

"So I'm going to save Asia, no matter the cost. If you have to punish me after this is over... then I'll accept whatever I have to do." She replied, turning to walk away.

"Hold on... Ishie, why are you doing this? At least tell me that much." Rias begged.

Ishie took a deep breath in response to that.

"Because, I made a promise..." She revealed.

The image of a younger Ishie standing before someone older than her, with their face hidden as they smiled and pet their head, flashed through her head.

"And I'll die before I break it." Ishie continued, showing a determined face.

Rias felt herself go speechless as she watched Ishie run out of the room, with Kiba looking her way.

"We thought she was different, but... she's the same as us." Koneko realized, feeling empathy for Ishie.

"Ishie..." Rias breathed.

About a minute later, Ishie she made it to the school gates as she wiped her with her arm, taking a deep breath as she prepared to head to the church on her own.

"Is there room for a few more?"

Ishie stopped as she heard that, slowly turning around to see an unexpected sight.

**[****Date A Live: Opening Theme - Instrumental****]**

Standing behind her was the rest of the ORC.

"Room for more? Wait, as in..." She realized.

"It's obvious we can't stop you, and that you won't be able to save Asia on your own, so we might as well have your back." Kiba smiled.

Ishie gasped as she heard that.

"Besides, we'd be sad if you weren't with us anymore." Koneko added.

Hearing that, Ishie felt herself tear up again.

"Everyone... thank you, thank you so much!" She sniffled, wiping her tears away.

"Of course, we're your friends after all." Akeno smiled.

Rias turned herself towards the gym, a confident smile at her face as she had only one thing to say.

"Let's go save Asia."

* * *

**And that's chapter 2! It was quite the roller coaster of emotions, with Murayama and Katase learning the truth from Ishie, the meeting with Asia that has her initially avoid the problems with Freed... only to still end up captured due to Raynare finding Ishie when she did, and most of all? Ishie's been forced to start seeing that her fantasies are very different from reality, and because she put too much faith in them... she didn't take it well.**

**This is going to be a major part of her development, as the story is mostly named after how she is at the start of the story. While it's too soon for her to stop fantasizing outright, this is the first part of her growing out of this mindset to become something more. The biggest part of this ties to her having a sad past like the rest of the ORC, which is related her promise.**

**Some of you may have expected this because Ishie's skills are with magic, but Rias reincarnated her using her Mutation Bishop, not all of her Pawns, which are instead what she used on this story's version of Gasper. While her magical ability was one reason for this, there were three overall, those being that the later novels make me feel Gasper would have benefited from the Promotion ability, and me having Rias being wiser than her canon counterpart by saving it.**

**That same reasoning is why I had her consider housing Asia temporarily did more good than harm, and as for Ishie realizing things Issei didn't? It isn't that she's smarter, but due to all those fantasies and fairy tales she loves, when it comes to story scenarios and such, she's more likely to notice. As a trade off, I have an area of Issei's canon skills where she's weaker in order to balance things out.**

**Until next time everyone, and stay awesome! ^^**


	3. Finding the Magic Within

**I think it's pretty obvious what will happen in this chapter, so there's not much to say about that. That being said, Dohnaseek's death in the first chapter will have a notable influence since he, Mittelt, and Kalawarner all fought Rias and Akeno together, as does the fact that Ishie still hasn't unlocked her Sacred Gear since her battle against him and her clash with Raynare.**

**Before I say anymore, you might have noticed that I've removed the text guide below and changed the formatting of the chapter title. For anyone that asks, I've slightly changed my writing style to forego most of what was in said guides, and kept only obvious ones like those for insert songs and the usual format most DxD authors apply to characters like Ddraig and Albion.**

**Anyways, as you've probably already noticed? I've replaced the Mystery genre with the Friendship genre, since after thinking about it more, Ishie's bonds with the ORC will become a big part of the story due to only Kiba and Gasper being potential love interests for her among Rias' peerage. Likewise, this story has gone from a T to an M-Rating. I had been considering this change for a while, and finally decided on it in this chapter.**

**For how the M-Rating will apply in this story's context? In pretty much the same way it does with the actual novels and anime adaption, especially a few of its word choices in the dub version, though in the case of story specific examples? The only one I can mention at the moment are the injuries Ishie will get in this chapter, due to how Issei initially struggled with Raynare and a reason that will be revealed during the battle itself.**

**Getting back on track, the ORC is about to have their first battle in this story, and you'll see a few surprises from them that you'll enjoy, while also getting a firsthand experience on how Rias can lead. Speaking of which, each member of the Gremory Team is stronger than they are during V1, but that's something I'll explain more at the end notes because I'd risk spoiling too much about their fights.**

**That's all I have to say for now, so without further ado? Let's get this chapter started!**

* * *

**[Chapter 3 - Finding the Magic Within]**

Inside an unknown room of the abandoned church, Raynare was seen talking to someone through a magic circle next to her right ear, all while a saddened Asia sat nearby as she thought about the sacrifice she had made for Ishie.

"And so, I gave her the ultimatum of the girl's life over becoming our ally, I hope that's not a problem?" Raynare inquired.

"Not at all. If that girl hasn't manifested a Sacred Gear, then I may have made a rare yet still possible mistake in believing she has one. It's better to find a different Sacred Gear to compensate for that." A male voice replied.

Raynare was about to reply, only for the doors to suddenly slam open and make her eyes widen in surprise. She took a deep breath as a deadpan look formed on her face.

"I'll call you back..." Raynare sighed.

Dispelling the magic circle, she turned to a buxom Fallen Angel woman with brown eyes and long, navy blue hair that obscured her right eye. Her attire consisted of a maroon secretary dress that was opened to show her massive breasts and cleavage, showing a hint of a white shirt underneath her top, a secretary skirt of the same color, and a gold necklace around her neck.

"Kalawarner, you better have had a good reason for rushing in here while I was talking with-" Raynare questioned, tapping her foot in annoyance.

"The Gremory Devils are on their way here as we speak." Kalawarner interjected.

Raynare raised her eyes slightly while Asia's widened, the latter's action giving the former a particularly nasty idea.

"Oh, how unfortunate. The deal for me sparring that one girl's life was for you to come with me. However, if she and her Devil friends are going to attack me, then I'm afraid we have no choice but to act in... _self-defense_." She said, flashing a smirk at the end.

"No, please! I'll-" Asia begged.

She didn't get the chance as a Raynare chopped the back of Asia's neck, making her collapse onto the ground as she lost consciousness.

"Any plans for how we should counter their assault?" Kalawarner inquired.

"You and Mittelt feel free to lead however you'd like. However, my only request in all of this?" Raynare answered.

Her face gained a glare and toothy smirk.

"Make sure that Ishie Hyoudou will find me, because we have a score to settle." She stated.

Kalawarner nodded, quickly leaving the room as Raynare turned her head towards Asia.

* * *

Within the forest surrounding the abandoned church, the members of the Gremory Team were all looking at the aged building as a strong sense of danger flowed through their veins.

"Do you feel that?" Ishie asked.

"No kidding, there must be a ton of people inside that church." Kiba answered, nodding his head slightly.

As they were talking, Koneko could be seen with closed eyes as she sensed the environment around her.

"What's she doing?" Ishie asked.

"Koneko has the best senses among our group, so I asked her to gauge what kind of forces we'll be dealing with. That's the best way for me to decide how we'll start our plan of attack." Rias explained.

Seconds after answering, Koneko opened her eyes and turned to the group.

"It looks like we have a small group of Fallen Angels and about a hundred Rogue Exorcists they've brought as guards." She revealed.

"D-Did you just say about a hundred!?" Ishie stuttered in shock.

She briefly let out a forced laugh, soon turning towards the others.

"I might have sounded confident before, but now I'm really glad all of you decided to come with me." Ishie admitted.

Rias looked at Kiba.

"Kiba?" She asked.

"No need to worry. They may not exactly be my favorite thing, but... I won't let those feelings control me in this battle." He replied, glaring slightly.

That caught Ishie's attention as he looked at him.

'What does he mean by that?' She thought.

Rias sighed in relief and smiled, further confusion Ishie as she looked at her, but that didn't last very long as Rias cleared her throat.

"Alright, listen up. Here's how we'll start our attack." She whispered.

Everyone got close as she began whispering the plan, eventually causing Ishie's eyes to widen as she back away for a moment.

"Wait, what!? What happened to what you told me about not just rushing in!?" Ishie questioned.

"That's still the case, but this time we're being smart about how we get everyone's attention." Rias explained, closing her eyes for emphasis.

Ishie blinked in confusing, soon tilting her head.

"You'll get it soon enough, just watch." Koneko stated.

Glancing at the church, she tried to find a good spot to start things off, and then she smirked once she found it. At that same moment, Ishie saw an intense aura radiate off her body as what looked like a chaotic mass of black/red energy formed in her hands.

**"Ruin the Extinct!"**

Shaping that energy into a sphere, she tossed it at part of the roof, causing an explosion as the collapsing structure sent all the Rogue Exorcists outside. The sky was quick to change into a purple color, marking the battle had officially begun.

'Holy shit! Not only was that powerful, but... it was like Rias was holding back!' Ishie thought, feeling her eyes shaking.

"Kiba!" Rias shouted.

"Right!" He replied, nodding his head.

He drew out his sword before swinging it.

**"Blade Blacksmith!"**

A sudden wall of crystalline metals, which Ishie quickly noticed resembled the metal making his sword, rose and blocked off the Exorcists. After a moment, Ishie felt the chill holy energy gave her coming from them to her surprise and confusion.

In response to the wall of sword metal that was blocking their way, the Exorcists began drawing their swords and firing the holy bullets in their guns to try breaking through it.

"Akeno, you're up." Rias smiled.

"Got it." She replied.

Floating into the air, she formed lightning in her right hand that had the demonic energy Ishie had gotten familiar with, then also in her left hand... only for Ishie to feel a familiar chill from it.

**"Chaotic Thunderbolt!"**

Launching both forms of lightning, Ishie witnessed both yellow and white lightning strike together, shattering Kiba's wall as most of the Exorcists fell to their knees, having been briefly paralyzed by the opposing electricity that had just zapped them.

"That lightning in her left hand, it was..." Ishie realized, her eyes shaking.

"Pay attention!" Koneko warned.

Hearing that warning, Ishie looked to see a few holy bullets aimed at her before Koneko grabbed her and jumped away.

She fell on her butt as Koneko dropped her to the ground mid-flight, right as she saw cat ears pop out of her hair and a pair of tails slip out from the backside of her skirt, then landing just as gracefully as the animal she now resembled.

"Koneko!?" Ishie exclaimed, feeling her eyes twitch as she recalled the Tiger imagery she saw when they first met.

"Fight now, ask questions later." She replied.

An exorcist rushed towards her with his sword out, but Koneko immediately grabbed him by the wrist. His eyes quickly widened as she started spinning him in circles like a Helicopter blade before throwing him into his allies, causing them to fly like they were bowling pins.

**"Hinotama!"**

Ghostly blue flames launched from her hand, which Ishie noticed didn't seem like magic, smacking the Exorcists in the air towards the church's door and knocking down its entire front wall.

"This is it! Koneko, Kiba! Hurry and get Ishie inside!" Rias ordered.

This caught Ishie's attention, but she didn't have a lot of time to ask about what was going on, much less process it as Kiba suddenly pulled her into a princess carry.

"Hang on!" He warned.

Using his speed, he rushed through the new opening in the church's entryway, with Koneko back flipping towards it as he did.

"Stop! Don't let them get through!" The lead Exorcist shouted.

The closest Exorcists all ran into Kiba's path, making Ishie scream.

**"Balance Breaker: Glory Drag Trooper!"**

However, those Exorcists were blown back as moving knight armors with helmets resembling a Dragon's head formed out of nowhere, swinging swords that knocked them to the side and letting Kiba successfully get himself and Ishie through.

Once they made it, Koneko finished her back flip and began writing some kind of dark purple symbols in the air.

"Sorry, but you're no longer allowed in this establishment." Koneko replied.

Trees suddenly grew out of nowhere and blocked the entry way, leaving the Exorcists who were about to rush inside to crash into the trees as they were locked out from the Church's interior.

'Ishie... the rest is up to you now. Good luck.' Rias thought.

With only her and Akeno now available for them to fight, the Exorcists turned their attention to the two, ready to slay the two She-Devils.

"To think you Devils would actually stick your noses this far into our business." Kalawarner remarked.

All the Exorcists briefly paused at that voice, looking up as both Rias and Akeno's attention turned to the mature Fallen Angel who summoned herself onto the battlefield.

"So, I take it you must be one of the Fallen Angels my servants sensed." Rias inquired, smiling as she did.

"You can act as confident as you want, but in the end, you and your servants will pay with your lives!" Kalawarner replied, raising her voice as she formed a light spear.

Rias smirked at that.

"Akeno?" Rias asked.

"I'm already on it." She replied.

Motioning her hands in a certain way, she let out a loud shout as multiple magic circles of a red color appeared, all of which had a crest resembling a torii gate rather than the Gremory symbol.

"What's this? Why form a barrier now of all times?" Kalawarner questioned, looking around.

"It amazes me how you haven't noticed what's missing from this picture." Rias answered.

Raising an eye at her words, it didn't take long before Kalawarner finally noticed it was only her and Akeno, with Ishie and the rest of her peerage nowhere in sight.

"She's not here! This was your plan all along, wasn't it!?" She realized.

"I'm not foolish enough to think you could let Ishie make it to your boss, only for her to call you all back and guarantee she'll have to fight against unwinnable odds. With this, now everyone inside of here has been completely blocked off from your forces still inside." Rias revealed.

"Now, let's see how confident you are against us." Akeno suggested.

She formed her Holy Lightning again, making Kalawarner gasp as she recognized it.

* * *

Inside the church, Ishie rubbed her eyes at the trees before her.

"What the... what the fuck just happened!?" She questioned.

"Right, I guess while we give you a moment to regain your bearings, we should probably explain everything you just saw." Kiba realized, scratching his neck.

Clearing his throat, he held up his sword.

"First of all, this sword was made by Sacred Gear, which is known as Blade Blacksmith. It lets me make magical swords with holy properties at will." He revealed.

"That explains the chill I felt, but... what about the lightning Akeno formed in her left hand?" She realized, soon raising an eye.

"The only people in this group who were normal Humans are you and Kiba, and in the case of Akeno, she's been able to use holy energy since the day she was born... since she's a Human/Fallen hybrid." Koneko revealed.

Ishie's eyes widened at that.

"Akeno is part Fallen Angel?" She said in surprise, almost unable to believe it.

"That's right, and even her heritage on her Human side isn't normal. She actually came from a family of Shrine Maidens, but... it's not something she likes to talk about, so I wouldn't try to bring it up around her unless she tells you herself." Kiba confirmed, his tone lowering to emphasize his warning.

Ishie gulped at that.

"G-Got it. So, what about you Koneko? What are you? Also, what was that Balance Breaker thing you did Kiba? And... what about that stuff Rias threw at the-" She asked all at once.

Koneko flicked her nose, making her hold it as she finally stopped blabbering.

"Did you forget how to breathe?" Koneko questioned in a sarcastic manner.

"Sorry..." Ishie apologized.

"Well, to answer your question about me? I'm a Youkai... specifically a Nekoshou, a kind of Nekomata, or a Cat Spirit as you might be more familiar with." She revealed.

"Cat Spirit?" Ishie repeated.

A moment of silence followed.

"Wow... no wonder I felt like a Tiger was glaring at me when you initially refused to share your chocolate with me." She realized.

"I'm gonna take that as a compliment." Koneko shrugged.

"As for what a Balance Breaker is? It's a level applied to every Sacred Gear where the user can draw out its full power, though in my case, the one I used was a Sub-Species based on me rather than the natural Balance Breaker based on the Blade Blacksmith itself, and its possible for anyone to make one." Kiba answered to her second question.

That made her eyes widen.

'Whoa... then that means I should be able to do something like that once I can awaken my Sacred Gear.' Ishie realized.

"As for what Rias used? That was the Power of Destruction, the signature ability of Rias' mother, which was passed down to her. It's even given her the nickname of Crimson Ruin Princess; a title she always shows she lives up to when push comes to shove." Kiba continued.

"Likewise, they call Akeno the Empress of Annihilation, since she's a Queen and able to do similar damage even without that power." Koneko mentioned.

Ishie's jaw dropped slightly after hearing this.

"Wow... sounds like I'm part of a hardcore group, how am I supposed to compare to all of that?" She said, feeling like she was just holding them back.

Koneko suddenly grabbed her hand, getting her attention as she noticed her give an empathetic look that she'd have never expected on her face.

"Don't talk like that." She begged.

Ishie had no idea what to say to that, but seeing that face? It was almost like she once said the same words she had said to her and Kiba just now. Taking what Kiba had said in response to Rias' unexpected question from earlier, it left her more confused than ever.

"We all have powers that are unique to us, and whatever yours is, that power is bigger than you can even imagine. After all, if you didn't have something strong to get Rias' attention when she did... you wouldn't be alive right now." Koneko stated, reminding her of how they met.

Those words made Ishie's eyes widen.

'Can I really have the same kind of power as Rias, Akeno, Kiba, and Koneko? I'd like to believe that, but...' She thought, unable to shake her doubt.

"She's right. Why else would Rias have let you come with us instead of making you wait while _we_ rescued Asia in your place." Kiba stated.

With those words Ishie gasped.

Everyone in Rias' peerage had shown their strength in this rescue attempt, and... she had been allowed to come, despite Rias constantly telling her not to before her words pushed them into helping her rescue Asia.

Not only that, but Rias and Akeno were clearly the strongest members of the Gremory Team, but neither of them were inside the church right now.

'Does Rias really believe in me that much?' Ishie wondered.

"And... most of all? We all understand." Koneko revealed.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Ishie asked, understandably confused by her words.

Kiba walked besides her, making her look at him.

"Koneko and myself, Akeno, and even Rias herself? We've all had a rough past to deal with and a sad story accompanying it... something we all realized the moment you told us about your promise." He revealed.

Ishie didn't say anything, just staring at him as if she had frozen in ice.

_'No need to worry. They may not exactly be my favorite thing, but... I won't let that control me right now.' Kiba's voice echoed._

'Was Rias asking him about Fallen Angels and the Rogue Exorcists?' She realized.

She looked at Koneko again, causing her to nod at her.

"But it was Rias who saved us and gave us something more, despite her own problems she and the rest of us are still overcoming even now. That's something we'll always be grateful for." She smiled.

Ishie's eyes widened at that, especially since it was the first time she had ever seen Koneko smile.

"The Gremory Family may treat their servants as family, but to us? We _are_ her family. No matter what happens inside, know you're never alone, because now you're part of that family." Koneko continued.

"Koneko..." Ishie replied, feeling her eyes starting to tear up.

Koneko's eyes widened a bit as she felt Ishie give her a tight hug.

"All my life, there have only been three people I could call a friend. Two of them are Katase and Murayama, while the third... she was my best friend, but moved away when this church closed down." She revealed, sniffling as she did.

Kiba went silent for a moment, as those words hit home for him more than he wanted Ishie to know.

He was thankful that she was hugging Koneko and therefore didn't even notice said reaction.

"But now? You, Kiba, Akeno, Rias, and Asia? If you're really willing to believe in me this much, then... how can I not consider you my friends as well?" Ishie declared, letting out a happy sniffle.

Koneko blushed in response, and tried to look annoyed... only to fail as she briefly smiled at that. Even Kiba couldn't help but smile in response.

Ishie pulled out of the hug as Koneko quickly switched back to her usual expression, with Ishie wiping her tears as she gained a determined look.

"Asia! I'm going to save you! That's a promise!" She shouted with renewed confidence.

Right as she announced this, a mocking laughter could be heard, getting the trio's attention.

It didn't take long for the owner of that laugh to reveal themselves as they saw a girl with blonde hair in messy twin tails and blue eyes, wearing a Gothic Lolita outfit, briefly twirling around once she landed.

"Hi there! I'm Mittelt, the most awesome Fallen Angel in the history of ever!" She greeted, giving a curtsy to them.

"Eh..." Ishie trailed off, looking away.

"I agree, this girl's clearly way too into herself." Koneko remarked, a deadpan look on her face.

She let out a chuckle before turning around with a smug look on her face.

"Anyways, if you're here to save your friend? Then you'll have to get past little old me first. I may be small, but I can pack a mean punch!" Mittelt warned.

Forming a pink light spear in her hands, she immediately tossed it forward as it split into five spears.

In response to this, Koneko jumped into the spear's path and was covered by a white aura before slamming her fist into the weapon of light, causing it to be flung back before it shattered against the wall.

"You deflected it? Are you flipping kidding me!?" Mittelt shouted in disbelief, while slightly crouching for whatever reason.

"If you thought that was actually strong, then you're delusional." Koneko retorted.

Mittelt fumed at that before throwing a small tantrum by stomping the ground.

"Damn you, that kind of attitude is why I freaking hate Devils! I'll make sure to smash your stupid Devil faces in!" She promised, roaring with all her fury.

Koneko turned to Kiba and Ishie while she had the chance.

"Kiba, you take Ishie to the next room and keep going." She stated.

"Are you sure?" He asked.

"I only sense three more people ahead of us, and I'm sure one of them has to be Asia. It shouldn't be too hard for you to take out whoever's standing between her and the Fallen Angel responsible for all of this." Koneko stated, nodding her head.

Kiba nodded in return, and Ishie blushed as he once again pulled her into a Princess carry without any forewarning.

"Hang on!" He announced.

Using his Knight speed, they rushed past Mittelt, who only just noticed them running towards the next room.

"Hey, no fair! I didn't say you could ignore me-" She shouted angrily, pointing a finger towards them.

She was quickly punched by Koneko, making her stumble.

"This cat's got nine lives, and she's about to use every one of them to keep you busy." Koneko declared, her fists motioned like a purring cat's.

Mittelt growled in response.

"Alright, if that's how you want to play... then here I come!" She shouted.

Koneko jumped into the air as she threw more light spears her way.

* * *

Kiba and Ishie soon found themselves in the next room, coming to a stop as Kiba drew his sword out, trying to spot whoever was stationed in the room. Meanwhile, Ishie saw some kind of statue by the wall.

"Kiba, I don't see anywhere else to go. Do you think that statue is related anything?" She asked.

"More than likely it's hiding an entrance to a basement. That has to be where Asia is." He replied.

Right after saying that, a clapping sound was heard. It didn't take long before the both of them saw none other than Freed walking into view, making Ishie tremble slightly as she recalled their prior encounter.

"Hey there, bet I'm a sight for sore eyes." He greeted.

"W-Why are you here?" Ishie questioned, still shaking.

"That would be your fault dear Missy. I pride myself on the fact I've never had to battle any Devil more than once, and then you survive to rub that in... so, what do you say? Let's finish this!" Freed replied, drawing his weapons.

He then licked his gun.

"And once you're finally dead, I can eat your flesh piece by piece. It just makes my mouth water!" He giggled.

Ishie's cheeks puffed as her face went green, just barely keeping herself from emptying her stomach.

"Uh, Kiba... could you-" She begged.

"No need to ask. After what happened the last time you met, I don't blame you for being afraid." He replied, keeping his gaze locked on Freed.

Kiba dashed ahead as Freed began firing, making Ishie panic as she hid behind the seats.

As Kiba dived towards him, Freed switched focus to his sword as they began clashing blades at speeds that left Ishie just barely able to see their movements. Not long after, Kiba caught Freed in a lock.

"You're quick." Kiba praised.

"Well you aren't that bad yourself, but of course... that only makes me want to kill you even more!" Freed smirked.

He moved his gun, forcing Kiba to back flip out of the way.

"Kiba!" Ishie shouted worriedly.

Kiba smirked as his sword vanished, leaving Ishie to freak out.

"Alright, if you wanna get serious about this? Then so will I!" He declared.

A new sword that emitted black light from its blade appeared in his hand, and the moment Freed jumped ahead to swing his sword of light against it... it was completely devoured by Kiba's blade!

"Hey, what the hell is this!?" Freed demanded.

"It's called the Holy Eraser, a sword that cancels out any light it or its aura make contact with." Kiba revealed.

Ishie stared in amazement.

'Of course, he said he makes magical swords! He just changed which one he was using to counter Freed's better.' She realized, letting out a silent sigh of relief.

Freed smirked as he threw his sword away.

"Fine, I've been wanting an excuse to try this bad boy out!" He declared.

He pulled out a strange blade that was shaped like a bolt of lightning.

'That sword... it can't be!' Kiba thought.

As Ishie noticed his reaction, Kiba let out a loud shout as he swung his Holy Eraser forward, causing its aura to wrap around Freed's new blade... only for both to shatter out of nowhere!

"Nice try, but a phony Holy Sword's no match for Excalibur!" Freed announced.

'No way, that's Excalibur!?' Ishie thought as she gasped.

"Of course it didn't, but thanks for confirming my suspicions. Now I know what makes you different from the Exorcists outside!' Kiba replied, his tone suddenly more serious.

Ishie briefly froze at that.

"Ishie, you'll have to go on ahead and fight on your own!" Kiba shouted.

"Huh!? But Kiba, didn't Koneko say-" She questioned.

Freed smirked and vanished, rushing towards Ishie at sonic speed. In response to that, Kiba formed a new sword and swung it, causing another wall of holy sword metal to block from Excalibur... aimed right at her.

Ishie fell on her butt, right as Kiba rushed over and parried another blow meant for her.

'He's moving at Kiba's speed now!' She realized, feeling her eyes shake.

"I can't protect you and fight back at the same time! Now go, sitting there isn't doing me, you, or Asia any good right now!" He shouted.

Looking at the statue hiding the entrance to the basement, Ishie didn't do anything... then made a serious expression as she nodded her head.

"This will be the last time you or anyone will ever have to bail me out... I promise!" She screamed.

As she ran, Kiba briefly looked her way and smiled as she pushed the statue down and ran into the basement, tears flowing out of her eyes as she kept running.

'You got me this far, and now this is my fight to finish! I have to win by myself this time!' Ishie thought.

Seeing the basement door before her, she charged right through them, causing Raynare to smirk and turn around to see her arrival.

"Ishie Hyoudou... glad you could make it." Raynare mockingly greeted.

"Cut the crap, where's Asia!?" Ishie demanded.

"Oh, her? She's just _hanging out_ with me at the moment." Raynare replied.

*"SNAP!"*

Light filled the room as a few lanterns lit up, showing Asia strapped to some kind of magic circle designed like a restraining table. Ishie gasped, right as Asia's eyes fluttered and she regained consciousness.

"Asia!" She called out.

"Ishie... you came." Asia smiled.

"Too bad in doing so, she's going to be killed, and right before your very eyes." Raynare declared.

A sweat drop trickled down Ishie's cheek as Asia looked at her worriedly, but she held her ground.

"You'll be the one that doesn't come out of this alive. My friends gave it their all to get me this far, and I'm not going to let them down!" Ishie exclaimed, managing to show some determination.

Raynare laughed at that, readying a light spear as a cruel smirk formed on her face.

"No matter how brave you try to sound, a weakling is still a weakling!" She shouted.

She threw it forward, prompting Ishie to form a magic circle to defend herself from the attack, which didn't immediately break this time... though still showed her being overpowered.

"See? No matter how greater your magical power becomes or how better your skill with it is, you don't have the strength to match someone like me!" Raynare shouted, her cruel smirk growing with every second.

"No... Ishie!" Asia screamed.

As the light spear continued to push itself against her shield, Ishie let out a series of loud grunts, digging her feet further into the ground.

'Don't give in... remember what they told you! Rias saw something in me, and Akeno herself claimed my magical power was something! Believe in yourself Ishie... because it's time for you to stop seeing yourself as the princess needing to be rescued.' She told herself.

Raynare suddenly gasped as her magical power started to flow out, causing her shield to gain some ground.

"It's time you be the hero of your fantasies... and in real life!" Ishie screamed.

With a loud crack, Raynare's light spear broke, making her stare in shock as the broken pieces scattered on the floor before they faded away, while Asia stared at Ishie with a smile on her face.

"No way, this magical power... an ordinary Human like you shouldn't possess it!" Raynare shouted in disbelief.

"Didn't I already tell you? I'm not... going to let my friends down!" Ishie shouted, focusing her gaze on her.

She screamed as she unleashed the same magical force that she used when she killed Dohnaseek, which slammed into Raynare full force... only for her to laugh at her in reply.

"I'm sorry, but did you really think you were strong enough to overcome me after breaking that light spear?" She questioned.

Cutting through the magic with a light spear, the only damage that could be seen on Raynare's form was she was now completely naked, leaving Ishie to stare at her in disbelief.

"There's not even a scratch..." She whispered worriedly.

"Honestly, I was hoping to get through this without having to overwork myself, but now? It seems that I've been forced to bring up my full strength." Raynare revealed.

At that moment, her body began to glow as it began to change.

She started to grow taller, taking on a more mature appearance as if she was quickly aging from a teenager girl into a young woman. New clothing started to form around her as Ishie saw what looked to be oil wrapping around her skin and solidifying itself.

Once the transformation ended, her new attire finally revealed itself. It now consisted of black, strap-like objects that resembled leather around and under her breasts, a thong-like piece held around her hips by three thin straps, gloves that ran right up her arms with small lengths of chains hanging from them, shoulder guard-like objects on her shoulders with three large spikes on the right shoulder, and black high heel boots that reached up to her thighs.

"I don't like what this is implying..." Ishie thought aloud, referring to her apparent age up.

Moments after she said that, Raynare's mouth opened, revealing her formerly human looking teeth had become sharp fangs not unlike a crocodile's, and her eyes opened to reveal a more sinister look, with her irises and pupils having shrunk in exchange for gaining and eerie red glow.

"You should feel honored! At least when I kill you this time, people won't call it pathetic!" Raynare exclaimed, her cruel smirk now outright terrifying.

Instead of two wings, she now sprouted out a total of six, with Ishie's entire body losing warmth for a moment at how much her danger sense acted up.

'Just how powerful is she now!?' Ishie thought.

Raynare rose a hand up, forming an incredibly large light spear before she tossed it at Ishie, who once again threw up a shield... only for it to shatter instantly before it kept flying with enough force that it slashed across her left shoulder.

A loud scream released itself from Ishie's mouth, feeling like someone had dropped her in a pool of pepper spray.

"Ishie!" Asia screamed, tears flowing out of her eyes.

"I don't think I've heard any of my victims release a pained scream like that in a long time! If you can scream like that, then it'll be much more fun to draw out your death!" Raynare stated.

Forming multiple light spears, they all flew at Ishie, making her scream more as they all cut across or through her body.

Asia could only watch in horror as she was cut up and left standing in a pool of her dripping blood, with the injuries Ishie had taken leaving her outfit in tatters, her left eye closed (though not blinded) as blood ran over the eyelid and her right eyes sclera was stained pink. Her right arm had gone fully limp, and she was just barely standing on her left leg.

'Can... barely move, much less... stay awake...' Ishie thought, feeling the blood loss affect her.

"Now, time for the finale!" Raynare announced.

Forming another large light spear, this one flew straight into her stomach, just as the one that ended her life as a Human, leaving Asia to scream as Ishie as the light spear didn't disappear this time.

* * *

Back outside the church, Rias suddenly felt the shift in power from Ishie and Raynare, causing her to stop attacking for a moment. This left her open for a moment.

"Rias, watch out!" Akeno warned.

Seeing her King was out of it for whatever reason, Akeno was forced to fly down and form a barrier to protect her.

"Rias, what's wrong!?" She asked.

"It's Ishie... something's wrong." Rias replied, only able to feel her demonic energy fading.

Hearing those words, Kalawarner began to laugh, getting her and Akeno's attention.

"It looks like trapping us here did nothing! No matter what that bitch's abilities are, she'll never be a match for Lady Raynare, and now all you've done is lead her to another death! It makes sense you'd name your servants after Chess pieces if they're that disposable!" Kalawarner revealed, continuing her mocking laughter.

Rias lowered her head, causing her hair to shadow her eyes.

"Now, I think it's time for you two jokes and your friends to join her!" She declared, readying a pair of light spears.

However, she never got to throw them as Rias' aura exploded out, immediately vaporizing any nearby Exorcists.

"W-What is this!?" Kalawarner questioned.

"Akeno... get out of the barrier, you'll need to stop my power in a few moments." Rias ordered; her voice now eerily quiet.

Akeno's eyes widened.

"No way... don't tell me you're going to use-" She realized.

"Do _not_ talk back to me right now." Rias warned.

Realizing that Rias was past the point of anger or being furious, now having reached outright pissed off beyond all reason, Akeno gulped before silently nodded and flying out of her barrier.

**"Aura of Destruction!"**

At that moment, her signature Power of Destruction swirled out of her like a distorted maelstrom, rampaging across the entire area within the barrier as the remaining Exorcist didn't even get a moment to react her power killing them.

"My god, what kind of monstrous power is this? Keep it away from me!" Kalawarner begged.

Her words fell on deaf ears as it burned into her, making Kalawarner scream as the energy burned her skin before vaporizing her outright like everyone else. With no one left for her power to destroy, Akeno began making hand motions before Rias' power rampaged any further.

The barrier began to shrink, with the power within the symbols slowly making Power of Destruction flowing out of Rias' body start to vanish.

'Ishie... whatever's happening, promise you'll survive it... we beg of you!' She thought.

* * *

Koneko dodged right and left as Mittelt continuously threw light spear at her, all while writing similar symbols to the ones she made to block the Exorcists from getting back inside the church.

"Damn it, actually fight back and stop mocking me!" Mittelt demanded.

"You obviously don't know how people can fight without physically attacking, and now... I'll show you exactly how that's possible." Koneko replied.

Finishing the last symbol, a strange mist blew across Mittelt, leaving her confused... until she suddenly began coughing. Putting a hand over her mouth, she felt a little trickle of blood escape it.

"W-What did you do to me?" She asked.

"Youjutsu, a power only Youkai can use. That in particular was a mist that I used to poison you. Don't worry too much, as I watered it down to only hamper you power, but it doesn't mean you're getting out of this alive either." Koneko answered.

"You... you cowardly... Devil!" Mittelt said, somewhat muffled.

Koneko glared at her as she coated some Touki and Senjutsu around her hand, making Mittelt's eyes widen.

"Don't call us cowards when how you killed my new friend without her even knowing could be considered even more cowardly." She said with quiet anger.

Mittelt gave a muffled scream as she was burnt by the Senjutsu flames, leaving a small shower of feathers behind... followed by Koneko holding her hands.

"Just breathe... like Rias told you, this doesn't make you like her... it doesn't." She said as she took deep breathes.

Slowly sitting down, she began to relax herself.

* * *

Kiba and Freed continued to clash as their now equal speeds left neither with an advantage over the other, aside from the added danger to Kiba if Excalibur managed to cut him in the wrong place.

**"Balance Breaker: Glory Drag Trooper!"**

The living armors appeared and rushed at Freed, who laughed as he simply cut them down one by one, leaving Kiba slightly drained as Freed slashed at him again... this time managing to slightly graze the skin on his chest.

However, due to it being Excalibur, that mere graze still felt like he got a deep cut, causing him to drop on one knee.

"Say goodnight you shitty Devil, because you're fucked!" He laughed.

Raising the sword for a final blow, a magic circle appeared by his ear, making him scowl as he heard what the person who was talking to him said.

"Damn it, and just when it was getting good." Freed growled.

Sheathing his sword, he jumped back a bit.

"Where are you going!?" Kiba demanded.

"Sorry, but I've been called away for other work, but I assure you... we'll see each other again soon enough." Freed replied, mocking waving goodbye.

He took out a flash grenade.

"No, I won't let you!" Kiba shouted.

Rushing ahead, Kiba was about to make it when just a second away from reaching him...

*"BANG!"*

The light briefly blinded him, and when it faded, Freed was gone. Kiba sighed as he stared at where Freed had just been, almost positive who his mysterious contact was.

"Looks like I won't have to search much longer... Valper Galilei." He stated.

He then slumped onto the floor, finally feeling his fatigue reach him as he looked the basement entrance.

"Ishie... it truly is up to you and you alone now, don't give up." Kiba stated, passing his belief to her.

* * *

Raynare stood across from Ishie's apparently dead form, with Asia crying as she too was unable to tell herself that Ishie was somehow still alive. The fact she wasn't moving only served to further enhance this, especially as the light spear she was struck with was still wedged through her torso.

"I have to at least give you kudos for having a body to bury. For a Devil of your status to get this far and take all of that, it's quite admirable... even if it's worth very little." She stated.

At that moment, she turned away... only to hear a sound.

"Hmm?" Raynare turned her head, looking at Ishie.

Her eyes slightly widened as she saw Ishie move her arm, but didn't care much since all Ishie was just barely holding onto her life that would soon fade away.

"I... I have to..." She weakly said.

"Seriously? How annoying must you be before Hades finally silences that noisy tongue of yours?" Raynare groaned in irritation.

At that moment, Ishie grabbed the light spear with her left hand, despite it burnt her skin for every second she did.

"Ishie?" Asia said in surprise, wondering what she was doing.

"There's no way you'll be able to pull that out. Light is so toxic to Devils, only one that's developed a resistance to it or another using magic could purge it from your system. Not only that, but at this point it won't save your life even if you could pull it out." Raynare stated, amused by the sight.

Ishie ignored that, and tightened her grip, and as she did... Raynare noticed the burning started to weaken.

'Wait, what?" She thought, noticing something was wrong.

Continuing to hold her grip, Ishie somehow managed to stand on her bad leg and move her right arm, surprising Raynare and Asia even further as she opened her right eye, despite it too was stained pink by her blood.

"I have to... keep my... promise!" Ishie said to herself, somehow finding strength.

"That's impossible! I skewered you with light spears, and one is literally sticking right through you! Just how could you stand right now!?" Raynare questioned, more confused than she had ever been.

Ishie tightened her grip on the spear, starting to pull it out to the light spear.

"Lucifer, are you listening... right now? I'm a Devil, just like you, so... I beg of you... just this one time. Just for this one single moment." She begged.

The faces of her friends in Rias' peerage, Murayama, Katase, Asia, her old friend Irina, and two silhouettes flashed through her mind at that moment.

"Give me the strength... to fight!" Ishie screamed.

At that moment, she pulled the light spear out of her body, somehow not bleeding from it. Raynare gasped at the sight, since shortly after, Ishie's aura exploded out as a mighty scream left her throat.

"No way... just what are you!?" Raynare asked, unable to believe she was once a normal human.

"I am Ishie Hyoudou, the Bishop of Rias Gremory... and I'm a Devil!" She announced.

With that, a powerful flash filled the room, causing a huge explosion to go off, blinding Raynare and Asia as it smashed through the ceiling.

**[****Hundred: My Prayer****]**

It didn't take long for the rest of her peerage to see the pillar of energy shooting out from where she stood, with no one being more surprised than Rias as she saw the proof to the power her Bishop possessed.

'She did it... there's no other explanation.' Rias realized, refusing to look away.

Taking to the sky, Raynare panted for a moment as she saw a few burn marks on her skin from the intense demonic power that Ishie had released.

"What just happened!?" She questioned.

"This... ends... now!" Ishie exclaimed.

Flying up in the air, Raynare looked at Ishie, only for her eyes to shake at what she saw. Ishie was flying not with her Devil Wings, but a pair of mechanical white wings with glowing blue membranes made of light.

"The... the Light Wings of the White Dragon? No way, all this time you were... oh god!" Raynare panicked.

The girls of the Gremory Team, even Rias herself who never expected this, all stared with complete shock at the Sacred Gear that Ishie was revealed to possess. As for Kiba, he too stared, using the last of his strength to help Asia out of the basement.

"Ishie... I don't believe it." Asia said in awe.

"To think she possessed one of the legendary Longinus, no wonder Rias sensed such a great power sleeping within her." Kiba remarked.

Releasing another roar, Ishie zoomed ahead faster than any of Devil could fly, making Raynare raise a hand towards her.

"No, I won't let you!" She roared.

A huge light spear formed above her before she launched it, but it simply shattered once it made contact with Ishie, making her gasp in horror before she was given a strong left hook across the face.

'This girl... she can't be!' Raynare thought, questioning if her thoughts were true.

**("DIVIDE!")**

Raynare felt half her strength sapped from her as blue energy flew off her form and was absorbed into Ishie's wings, shortly followed by her weakened state crashing into the ground.

Crossing her arms in front of her chest, and a dozen magic circles surrounded her body.

"This one's for Asia!" She screamed, right as her eyes flashed an intense light blue color.

Pure magical power shot out of each beam before slamming onto where Raynare landed, with the intense power causing her to scream as it struck her. Her last act before the demonic power completely vaporized her was to leave one chilling message.

"I swear to you, my death... is just the beginning! Your lives will be your payment for taking mine! I swear it to you, Ishie Hyoudou!" She screamed in defiance.

And with that, her entire body was purged into nothingness.

**[****Insert Song End****]**

Releasing heavy breathes, Ishie stared at where Raynare met her end before whatever strength she was running on finally ran out... causing her black out before she fell to the ground.

The last thing she saw was Asia running towards the area she was falling towards.

* * *

As Ishie finally felt herself waking up, the first thing she saw was Asia and the rest of the ORC standing over her, their eyes tear and smiles on their faces as they realized she was OK.

"Ishie!" Rias shouted.

"Welcome back!" Koneko smiled.

"Nice moves." Kiba praised.

"Ishie..." Asia sniffled.

"How do you feel?" Akeno inquired.

Getting back up, Ishie shook her head before rubbing the throbbing headache she likely got from hitting the ground.

"I feel... OK?" She replied.

Taking a moment to look at herself, she saw while her clothes were still in tatters, all her wounds were gone. In fact, she felt physically better than she ever had in a long time.

"Wait, what happened? Did we... win?" Ishie asked, struggling to remember everything after pulling out the light spear.

"ISHIE!" Asia screamed.

She was nearly knocked over as Asia hugged her tightly.

"Ishie, I was so afraid that I lost you after you fell! Thank goodness you're OK!" She cried, unable to stop her tears at all.

"Asia..." Ishie breathed.

"Please, tell me! Tell me we'll be friends forever!? Like forever, forever!" Asia asked.

Ishie paused before nodding.

"Of course." She smiled.

"That's good, then promise you won't ever leave me alone!" Asia begged.

"I'll always be here, now let it all out." Ishie reassured her, shedding happy years.

As she rubbed her head, her wings folded into the hug... making her gasp as she saw them.

"My wings! No, wait a second... these aren't Devil wings." She said in surprise.

"You're right, this is your Sacred Gear, the Divine Dividing." Rias replied, still smiling.

Ishie stared at them in awe.

"Aside from granting its user the power of flying at incredible speeds without wasting any power, it can also let you steal power from an opponent you touch every 10 seconds, taking it into your own. It's one of the thirteen varieties of Longinus." Akeno explained.

"Longinus?" Ishie repeated.

"After the saint who stabbed Jesus Christ himself, and in your case? The Divine Dividing houses the power of the White Dragon Emperor." Rias revealed.

Ishie couldn't believe what she just heard.

On the day she was killed by Raynare, she had a fantasy about fighting a Dragon, yet all this time... she had been born with the power of what she was sure Rias implied had been/was one of the strongest ones to ever exist.

"Almost like it was telling me how my life would change that day." Ishie smiled, feeling tears in her eyes.

She stood up on her feet, pulling Asia into her arms as she did.

"I-Ishie?" Asia said in surprise, blushing slightly.

"Come on... let's go home." Ishie smiled.

The rest of the ORC all smiled as well, and with those smiles... the battle was finally over.

* * *

In another part of the world, the sound of clashing metal could be heard ringing out.

The scene focused on a deep area of the mountains, where a man wearing red armor with traits of a Dragon in its designed rushed ahead with a sword that had a handle that seemed to resemble a Dragon's glow.

His opponent was a young man with blond hair with a strand of hair across his face and dressed in a business suit, also holding a sword in hand, though his looked more like a normal sword with a round pommel at the end, a huge cross-like shaped guard, and a long blade with a gold colored edge.

**("TRANSFER!")**

The armored figure's sword glowed green as their swords swung at each other, unleashing a horrible ringing sound that caused their friends nearby to cover their ears from how painful the emitted noise was.

After a few seconds, it was the blonde's sword that lost, being flung out of his hands and landing near a young man with short light-colored hair that gave off the feeling of a monkey in a man's body that wore ancient Chinese armor, making his face pale as his eyes went fully white.

**("Hey Bikou, I didn't know you liked playing monkey in the middle!")** A voice joked, laughing after he said it.

"Ddraig, not funny!" He shouted angrily.

Laughing a little himself, the one inside the armor somehow slid his sword inside his left gauntlet.

"Guess now we can say that I've managed to get a handle on this sword." He stated.

"I believe so Vali, though you'd best remember to boost your arm while using it to avoid the risk of having what you did to Caliburn happening to you." Arthur replied.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll be careful." Vali sighed.

As Arthur went to pick up his sword, a bright green light appeared from Vali's left gauntlet, getting his attention.

"Is something up Ddraig?" He inquired.

**("Oh, you'll love this... it seems Albion's host has finally awakened.")** Ddraig answered.

That got Vali's attention, making him smirk.

"Can you tell me anything else?" He inquired.

And with those words, the real chain of dominoes that would forever change Ishie's life finally began to fall.

* * *

Back at Ishie's house, her mother looked at the fairy tale books with a sad look in her eye.

"I never thought the day would come when she would tell me... to get rid of these. All of these years she's been holding strong, but is she finally starting to break? I don't know what to do." She sniffled, wiping her eyes.

She picked up the book on top, which had a star sticker she remembered as the one marking it as her favorite story.

"What should I do? If... if only-" She asked, as if talking to a ghost.

"Mom?" Ishie called out.

Hearing the voice of her daughter, she quickly flinched and went into a panic, worried how she'd react to her having done nothing to the fairy tales she asked her to get rid of. Right as she got an idea to slide them under a table, Ishie entered her line of sight.

"Uh... Ishie, hi." Her mother greeted, sweating nervously.

She noticed her daughter look at the books, making her sweat even more as she started to near a panic attack in preparation for her daughter's reaction.

"So, you didn't get rid of them..." Ishie stated.

After saying that, a smile appeared on her face.

"Thank you, I'm glad that you didn't." She stated, a happy blush on her face.

Her mother's eyes widened at that.

"It's like you knew that I didn't really mean it when I said that. Guess even now, you still know me better than I know myself at times." Ishie continued.

"Ishie..." Her mother quietly said, tear up in happiness.

Noticing the book with the star sticker, she picked it up and looked at it before turning her attention back to her mother.

"Still, I think it's time I stop using them to escape reality. Just this one is all I need by my side." Ishie decided.

That really surprised her mother.

Looking into her daughter's eye, she saw a new sense of growth in her. While the fantasy loving daughter of hers was still there... she could tell those fantasies didn't seem to be clouding how she saw the world anymore.

'My little girl... I'm not sure what happened, but you're finally starting to grow up.' She thought, feeling tears slip out of her eyes.

"Mom?" Ishie said in surprise.

"Sorry, it's just... I can't really explain it. Hearing that just made me feel so happy. If that's what you want, then I'll keep the rest of these on the shelves down here." Her mother replied.

Ishie didn't get it, but... she just smiled since her mother was happy.

"Oh, and... I hope it's not too much, but can I ask for a favor?" Ishie asked.

She looked at her daughter with a confused look, but once she heard footsteps enter the room, it became clear what that said favor was.

And she was happy to oblige.

* * *

**This chapter was a rush! Asia was saved, Ishie's finally discovered her Sacred Gear is the Divine Dividing, you saw the ORC with powers they shouldn't have until later in the story, and most of all... Raynare hints to V3's events with her final words. Because there's no Raynare curse this time, I figured she needed to leave some kind of lasting impact, so, why not leave a hint to Kokabiel?**

**We also got a cameo from Vali, if only to confirm he and Ishie swapped their respective Longinus, but I feel that's was enough of a reason since he did seem to already know about Issei by the time of his debut. True, Azazel may have just told him during the time he summoned Issei during V3, but due to how I've got this story going? I decided this was a better way to do it, especially since it fits him being Ddraig's host better.**

**For why I chose to switch their partners and Sacred Gears around? There were a few reasons involved, but the major ones were all on Ishie's side. First, Albion seems more likely to be patient with her than Ddraig would, and second, the Divine Dividing seems like a better fit for creating fantasy counterparts to all of Issei's more perverted abilities.**

**Then we have the rest of the Gremory Team, who have overcome most of their issues, but not all of them to actually allow their personal arcs to happen. For Rias, hers is story specific, and tied to how she has her own version of her brother's true form. The main difference with hers is that unlike with her brother, who can seemingly stop his at will... hers will rampage indefinitely unless Akeno contains it for her.**

**Now, before we end this chapter? The scene with Ishie being struck by all those light spears... that honestly should have killed her. There's a reason behind, why she survived being hit by all of them despite this, but I can't say anything without giving away a major reveal that I'm building up to, other than Asia is the only person that knows exactly how many spears hit her.**

**Until next time everyone, and stay awesome! ^^**


	4. A Phoenix Rises

**Here it is, the start of the V2 adaption! Before we begin, one thing I'd like to mention is that while Ishie will eventually be called the Hakuryuukou, the same will not be the case with Vali eventually being called the Sekiryuutei, as while canon doesn't really say if his mom is Japanese or not, in this story his human heritage comes from a different country. In other words, their titles are based on their respective nationalities.**

**Also, after some heavy thought, I've decided to thin the pool of Ishie's potential love interests because there are many she won't know long enough to form a love connection with. These seven are Kiba, Gasper, Saji, Vali, Sairaorg, Cao Cao and Dulio, with the latter two currently having the worst chances, if any, unless I'm able to think of a good way to make them appear earlier.**

**Now, getting back on track? Fitting with what I just said above about the sub-plot with Ishie's love life, this is where it officially begins, and while Ishie may be more aware of reality now... that's currently just for the dangerous stuff she just went through. When it comes to love, she's still the fairy tale romantic I said she was in the first chapter. *giggles* It's going to take her a while to overcome that, especially with how it's made her act around Kiba.**

**Besides that, this arc also acts as Katase and Murayama's full introduction into the supernatural, as Ishie hasn't had a chance to explain everything beyond her being a Devil. Luckily, since they're friends of Asia in canon, she acts as a good common link to help**** ease**** them in, since Asia's a normal Human and has already done this during her time in the Vatican. Who knows? I may even have them learn some magic.**

**With that out of the way, let the chapter begin!**

* * *

**[Chapter 4 - A Phoenix Rises]**

Ishie's father was currently sleeping in his room, and was just about to get comfortable...

*"KNOCK!"*

Until he heard a noise come from his door, making him groan.

"Gorou, honey? Could you come here?" Ishie's mother asked.

Reaching out for his glasses and then putting them on, he got out of bed and walked to the door, opening it to see his wife's face.

"What is it dear?" He yawned, rubbing his eyes.

"Ishie finally came home, and... well, I think it's easier for you to see it than for me to explain it." She replied.

Gorou was confused by what his wife was talking about, but figured it was mainly because he was still half asleep, so he just shrugged and followed her downstairs, briefly adjusting to the lights being on.

When he could finally see, his eyes widened at the sight of Asia sitting by his daughter on the couch.

"Hey there dad." Ishie greeted, holding a hand up as a sweat drop formed on her face.

His mouth dropped open as his wife sat him down, and from there, Gorou listened as everything was slowly explained to him. Eventually, Ishie finished talking and his response was...

"I'm sorry, what did you say her name was? _A_sia?" He asked.

"It's spelt the same, but it's actually A_si_a." Ishie corrected.

"Right, uh... please don't take this the wrong way, but are you sure there's no better long-term living situation than moving in with us?" Gorou inquired.

"The thing is, I owe your daughter, and I need to pay her back." Asia replied.

Both of Ishie's parents were surprised at that.

"Owe her?" Gorou repeated.

"You see, I came to this town all by myself, and because of bad people that tried to take advantage of me. Your daughter was the first person I met and led me away from it, even saving me after they tried to take me by force. She took care of me, and if it wasn't for her help, I don't know what I would have done." She explained.

Ishie gave a bashful blush in response, looking away from her as she smiled.

"But if me living here puts you out in any way, I can go somewhere else." Asia added, pushing her hands out.

"No, no! We're not saying you can't stay! It's just, well..." Ishie's mother replied.

As her parents tried to think of a good reason to mention why her moving in might be a problem, Ishie quickly realized what was going on and coughed a bit.

"If she moves in her, then... maybe instead of being a guest, she could become my... little sister?" She mentioned, covering her face as she did.

"Little sister?/Little sister!?" Her parents and Asia said/shouted in surprise.

Gorou and Ishie's mother immediately held hands as they shed tears of joy.

"What happened to my little girl? She actually just asked us to give her a little sister to care for!" Gorou exclaimed.

"DAD!" Ishie shouted in embarrassment.

Both of them turned towards Asia, who was slightly confused.

"Asia, would you like to join our family?" Ishie's mother offered.

Asia smiled.

"I... I never knew my real mom or dad, so hearing you say something that generous makes me really happy." She replied.

"You can consider us your real parents from now on if you'd like." Gorou smirked.

"Thank you, mom... thank you, dad!" Asia accepted, tears flowing from her eyes.

"Yeah, we're family now, and that means you're not alone, so let's make sure to look after each other." Ishie smiled.

"It's a deal." Asia nodded in agreement.

* * *

The scene opened to the old school building a few days after the events with Raynare and Asia's official adoption, with Rias and most of her peerage were currently doing their usual Devil work.

Ishie was currently absent since after all the damage she took, Rias felt she deserved to rest for a few days and had had her absence excused in advance. However, today was the day she'd be returning to school and her peerage work. Although, at the moment...

"I'm running out of time." Rias suddenly said.

This caught Akeno's attention.

"What's wrong?" She inquired.

Rias didn't say anything, showing her a letter she had just received from home. After reading it, Akeno just sighed as she realized what was going on, enough that Kiba and Koneko quickly picked up on what was troubling their King.

"Rias, I think you should tell your brother about Ishie. It might be the only way he can do anything to at least give you a chance." Akeno suggested.

She sighed at what Akeno said, crossing her arms.

"I'd rather not involve her in this when Gasper's still unable to help us, but... I guess you're right. She'll find out sooner or later, so I might as well tell her, though let's at least wait a little before we tell her, since she needs to catch up on her Devil work." Rias decided.

"Understood, Miss President." Akeno replied, agreeing to the compromise.

Right after that was said, everyone heard the door open and turned to see Ishie and Asia walk into the room.

"Hey everyone, we're here!" Ishie greeted.

"Hi, I'm surprised you're-" Rias replied.

She suddenly found her words fall short as she stared at Ishie, along with the rest of her peerage, causing Ishie to blink Bishop a few times before she felt uncomfortable by it.

"What? Why are you staring at me like that?" Ishie asked.

"Um... how can we say this in a tactful manner?" Akeno replied, looking away for a moment.

Koneko sighed, deciding to get to the point.

"Is there any particular reason your hair turned black?" She asked, letting her words be completely blunt without a care.

At that moment, the scene finally focused on Ishie directly.

Rather than the sandy hair color of hers that everyone had become familiar with, it was now black, specifically the kind of shade that resembled everlasting night. It wasn't just the color that had changed either, as it seemed to have lost some of its width and grown to reach between her elbows and mid-back.

"Oh, that's right. I never told you about that story or my natural hair color." Ishie revealed.

"Natural hair color? Does that mean you've been bleaching your hair?" Kiba inquired.

"Not exactly. You see..." She answered.

She briefly took a moment to let out an embarrassed laugh as she recalled a certain event.

* * *

_Inside a public Junior High's science room, a class of Third-Year students could be seen, with Ishie in a group alongside Katase and Murayama as she nervously held onto a beaker for part of an experiment._

_"Guys, I can't do this! One of you please take over!" Ishie begged._

_"Don't be dramatic Ishie, we know you hate this subject, but we've done everything that we've needed to." Murayama replied._

_"Yeah, it isn't like it's going to explode on your face." Katase joked._

_Ishie groaned in defeat, and finally dropped a bit of the beaker's mixture into the other chemicals, and the moment they mixed..._

_*"BANG!"*_

_Everyone turned as they saw Ishie get hit by a puff of smoke, causing Murayama or Katase jump back in surprise._

_"Holy freaking crap!" Katase said in horror._

_"That wasn't supposed to happen!" Murayama exclaimed._

_Once the smoke cleared, both of them slowly paled._

_"Katase, what was that about how it wouldn't explode?" Ishie questioned, an annoyed look on her face._

_She noticed them staring at her, making her annoyance become worry._

_"Guys, why are you staring at me like that? What happened!?" She asked._

_Rather than answering, Katase slowly raised her phone and pulled up her camera app. Ishie paled as she saw that her once black hair was now a sandy color, or maybe even bleached at worst. It had even shrunken somewhat, trading height for width in some unexplained manner._

_After she finally registered the sight, Ishie released a horrified scream that the birds outside the school managed to hear, causing all of them to fly away in response._

* * *

The entire ORC stared in disbelief as Ishie let out another embarrassed laugh.

"The reason I transferred to Kuoh after the year ended was so no one that had seen that accident would know who I was, while Katase and Murayama enrolled with me so I'd have friends instead of starting the year alone." She said, finishing the story.

Once she was done, Akeno struggled to hold in her laughter, only to fall as a few snorts escaped her mouth.

"I've heard of bad hair days, but that takes the cake." She replied.

"How did you finally undo the damage?" Koneko asked.

"Well, the day after saving Asia, right after Rias called to tell me about being excused from class for a few days, I looked in my mirror and noticed my hair seemed darker than usual. That's when I saw the roots had gone back to normal. Because of how Asia healed all my wounds, I asked her to try healing my head, and like I expected, it undid all of the damage the chemicals did to my hair." Ishie explained.

Koneko blinked in response.

"And now that I have my natural color again... be honest, how do I look compared to before?" She asked.

She had a lock of her hair twirled around her finger as she said this, causing everyone to blush slightly.

"Whoa, that much?" Ishie asked in surprise.

"Well, you are a natural Japanese citizen, so... having apparently bleached hair likely left a negative mark on your image." Akeno replied, trying to avoid giving her the wrong message.

"Speaking of which, how are you going to explain your damaged hair?" Rias inquired.

"I asked Murayama and Katase to tell anyone that asks or stares that I used to wear a princess wig until recently. My rep as a daydreamer should make it crazy enough for everyone to believe." Ishie replied.

Rias' eyes widened at that.

"That's... actually a pretty clever explanation." She admitted.

"Well, if there's one thing I'm good at besides magic? It's making up some crazy stories." Ishie giggled.

Right as she said that, her eyes widened.

"Speaking of which, is there any chance that you can do that for-" She inquired.

"If you're asking about getting Asia enrolled here, then my father has already registered her as a Second-Year student. She'll be in your class as of today, so all she needs is the uniform." Rias smiled, motioning to a box on the nearby table.

Asia smiled at that, with her and Ishie failing to notice Akeno had left the room for something.

"Whoa, seriously? How'd he do that so quickly!?" Ishie asked.

"He's on the school board." Rias answered.

'That... makes a lot of sense actually.' Ishie realized.

Akeno came back in at that moment, pushing a tray table with a large cake on it, with Ishie seeing it was a welcome cake with her name on it.

"Is that-" She asked.

"We've been so busy with the Fallen Angel thing, but now that it's all over? Let's all officially welcome our newest member!" Akeno announced.

No more questions were asked as everyone began digging in... unaware of the small Phoenix staring at the window, almost as if stalking them.

* * *

It wasn't long after the ORC's small celebration that classes started for the day.

As expected, everyone had noticed Ishie's black hair, which quickly prompted Katase and Murayama to use her one cover story. However, what she didn't expect were some of the stares a few of the boys were now giving her.

"What am I? Suddenly ten times cuter with black hair?" Ishie asked.

"To the foreign exchange students at least..." Katase sighed.

Ishie didn't say anymore, quickly realizing what she was implying as she turned her head towards the blackboard. Not long after that, the teacher walked into the room, making everyone take their seats.

"Everyone, before we officially begin today's lesson, I've just received word that a new student is joining our class." The teacher revealed.

This caught everyone's attention, besides the obvious trio who already knew.

"Ishie?" The teacher called.

"Y-Yes sir, what is it!?" She replied, getting up in response.

"First off, don't bring the wig to school again." He stated.

Ishie blushed as almost everyone began laughing at her. While it was the cover story she and her friends made, it was still pretty embarrassing for the teacher to bring it up like he had.

"Second, I believe this new student and you are related?" He inquired.

"Yes sir, my parents just adopted her." Ishie confirmed.

Everyone suddenly looked at her in disbelief, but before they could ask her any related questions...

*"KNOCK! KNOCK!"*

The door opened to show Asia walk in, getting the teacher's attention.

"Settle down everyone!" He shouted.

Asia walked to the front of the room, making all the guys blush at the blonde cutie that stood before them.

"M-My name is Asia Hyoudou, it's nice to meet you all." She greeted.

As they saw her smile, the room went speechless to the surprise of the girls.

"That smile... it's too pure!" Matsuda shouted.

"B-Bust is... is...!" Motohama sputtered.

Both of them fell out of their chairs, making Ishie look at the two in surprise before rubbing her eyes to verify she had actually seen what she had.

* * *

Once classes had ended for the day, Ishie and Asia began walking through the halls towards the old school building.

"So, how was your first day?" Ishie inquired.

"It was really fun, especially getting to know your two best friends, Katase and Murayama." Asia smiled.

Ishie sighed in relief.

"Just to make sure... Matsuda and Motohama didn't try to do anything weird, did they?" She asked worriedly.

"They mentioned something about inviting me to a Devil's three way?" Asia replied.

"Whatever you do, _never_ accept any offers they try to give you." Ishie warned.

Seeing the frightened and paled expression on Ishie's face, Asia didn't ask any more questions and quietly nodded her head. After another minute or two, they made it to the club room as they saw everyone, and noticed Rias looked a bit distracted.

"Hello?" Ishie called out.

"Hmm?" Rias said, snapping out of it.

Looking at the two, she gave an embarrassed laugh as she stood up.

"Sorry, spaced out a little. It's been one of those days." She apologized.

"What days are those?" Ishie asked.

Rias paused for a moment, then decided not to answer that question as she coughed into her throat, making Ishie tilt her head in confusion.

"Anyways, now that you're here. I think you'll be happy to know your days of delivering fliers are over." She announced.

Ishie was confused, until her eyes widened.

"Wait, are you saying I'm finally getting my own Familiar!?" She asked, her eyes sparkling.

"That's right." Rias confirmed.

Ishie squealed in response, and just like when Kiba touched her during her first visit to the ORC? Her eyes went white as a blush filled her face, which began to shake like a windup toy.

"Eh?" Asia blinked, this being her first time seeing it.

"Don't ask." Koneko sighed.

After another minute passed, Ishie went back to normal as she calmed down, clearing her throat.

"So, I'm getting my own little bat?" She assumed.

"Actually, Familiars are a bit more varied than that." Rias replied, briefly glancing at the others.

Akeno held her hand out, causing a group of six colorful creatures to appear from it.

'They look like Imps.' She thought.

Ishie then turned her head as she heard a bell that came from a white kitten in Koneko's hands, which lead to the Nekoshou giving one of her rare smiles.

"This is Shiro." She revealed.

'So cute!' Ishie thought.

A loud screech soon went off, making Ishie jump as she saw a falcon sitting on Kiba's shoulder.

'Not cute!' She thought, trembling slightly.

Letting Ishie have a moment to shake off the scare Kiba's Familiar gave her, Rias then continued from where she left off.

"As you can see, Familiars can be almost anything. There are some that can be small like ours, others that can be semi-inanimate objects such as a ship, and some that are big or powerful enough that they can fight by their master's side." She explained.

"So, how does a Devil get a Familiar exactly? Koneko and Kiba's look normal enough, but I've never seen anything like yours or Akeno's." Asia asked.

"We'll be going to a place we can only visit on the night of a Full Moon." Rias answered.

*"KNOCK! KNOCK!"*

Everyone looked at the door.

"Come in." Akeno permitted.

The door opened to reveal a girl with short black hair in a bob cat and glasses, with six girls and one guy coming in from behind her. Ishie gasped as she saw them.

"Why's she here?" She quietly asked herself.

"Ishie, who are these people?" Asia asked.

"The girl in the front is Sona Sitri, the Student Council President, and everyone behind her is a member of the Student Council." Ishie whispered to her.

Asia let out a small gasp in response as she focused on them.

"Hello Sona, what can I do for you?" Rias asked.

"Nothing, I just wanted to congratulate you on getting a new servant." Sona answered.

Ishie's eyes widened at that.

"Wait, if she knows that you're a Devil, and is friendly enough to ask you about servants... then that would mean-" She realized.

"That's right, she's also a Devil, and like Rias she's the next head of her household." Akeno confirmed.

"Holy crap..." Ishie breathed.

The only guy among the Council let out a slight chuckle.

"Rias, I'm hurt you didn't tell her about us." He remarked.

"It's considered bad form to get involved with the affairs of other households, so it's only natural she held this back." Sona clarified.

He blushed in embarrassment.

"It seems you have a new servant as well." Rias realized.

"This is Saji Genshirou, one of my Pawns." Sona revealed.

"And a powerful one at that, stronger than your prince charming of a Knight. I took up four Pawn Pieces." He revealed, giving a smug look as he held up that many fingers.

Hearing that, Ishie's eyes widened.

"Four Pawns, that's possible?" She asked.

"If the person you're trying to reincarnate is stronger than you, multiple pieces are needed to compensate the difference. Due to the value of each type of Evil Piece, this is usually done with Pawns, but can happen to any piece besides a Queen." Koneko revealed.

She then looked at Ishie.

"Though this is also when factoring if they've unlocked their powers beforehand. If Rias were to reincarnate you now, then I'm pretty sure you'd need two Bishops at best, or be too strong to reincarnate at worst." She added.

'Thank goodness I wasn't, especially if that made the latter happen...' Ishie thought.

Sona sighed before looking at Rias.

"My apologies, he only joined me yesterday, so he's still picking up the finer points of civility." She apologized.

"Perfectly understandable." Rias replied.

She soon motioned to Ishie.

"And this is Ishie Hyoudou, my Bishop." Rias revealed.

Ishie felt Koneko slide her into view, making her nervous.

"Uh... h-hi there." She greeted.

Finally getting a good look at her, Saji paused for a moment... then suddenly walked up and grabbed her hands.

"Hey, are you sure you're not an Angel? Because I swear you just fell down from Heaven!" He asked, flirting with her.

Ishie suddenly blushed at that, smiling as she mumbled happily.

"Oh no..." Koneko sighed.

"Well, this just took an interesting turn, didn't it?" Rias asked, giggling slightly.

"I know, right?" Sona agreed.

At that same moment, Ishie suddenly felt a chill, but not the kind she experienced from holy energies. Turning her head slightly, she noticed a brunette with pig tails staring at her with a slightly annoyed look on her face and a tightened fist.

'This is bad, does she like Saji and now views me as her love rival!?' She thought, a worried expression on her face.

Rias then realized something important at that moment.

"Sona, by any chance do you consider Saji ready for a Familiar? I was planning to take Ishie to get hers tonight." She inquired.

"Not yet, so you're free to go." Sona replied.

Ishie and Asia looked at Sona in confusion.

"Only one peerage is allowed to be seen by the Familiar Master every full moon." Rias clarified.

"Oh." They replied, nodding in understanding.

Sona soon cleared her throat, getting Saji's attention.

"Saji, feel free to flirt with Rias' Bishop later. We need get back to our Council duties now." She stated.

Ishie flinched as the same girl's gaze focused on her even further.

"R-Right... see you later Ishie." Saji replied, winking at her.

As the Student Council left the room, Rias suddenly felt Ishie look at her with a frightened look on her face, and feeling her tremble as she held onto her arm.

"Rias, do you or anyone else in this peerage have any dating experience?" She asked, almost begging her.

"Why do you ask?" Rias inquired.

"Because I think one of the girls in the Student Council just declared me her love rival with her eyes!" Ishie shouted, starting to panic.

Rias could only stare, having no way to answer that question.

Luckily, a magic circle appeared by her just in time for to dodge it.

"Hello?" She replied.

Ishie let go and watched as Rias' eyes briefly shifted, followed by her nodding her head.

"Alright, we're on our way." She promised.

The circle disappeared as she looked at everyone.

"Everyone, get ready to fight. We just got a report about a Stray Devil." Rias revealed.

"A what now?" Ishie asked.

She looked to see everyone else was making a serious expression.

* * *

Near an abandoned building not too far from the somewhat destroyed church, a magic circle appeared as the Gremory Team walked out of it.

"What exactly is a Stray Devil? Are they like those Rogue Exorcists?" Ishie asked.

"They are, yet they also aren't. Stray Devils are reincarnated servants like us, but on occasion, a servant rebels by running away. However, it is possible for them to kill their master on rare occasions." Kiba answered.

Koneko briefly lowered her head as he said that, but Ishie didn't notice because she was looking at Kiba.

"So, they're basically criminals then?" She asked.

"It isn't that simple. Stray Devils have no control of their demonic power, and that quickly leads to ugliness, so it's easy to say they're Devils who've become pure evil. The usual sign one has been found is they've _eaten_ someone." Akeno explained.

"And with that, I'm no longer in the mood to have dinner tonight..." Ishie declared, feeling a little queasy.

They soon made it inside the building, where Rias looked at Ishie.

"Ishie, promise you won't act without my orders. Unlike the Fallen Angels, this fight will be like putting down a wild animal." She warned.

"G-Got it..." Ishie promised.

A loud sniffing sound was soon heard by the group, followed by the sound of an erotic moan.

"What a foul fickle smell, I wonder what's making that delicious odor!" A female voice questioned.

Ishie soon saw the source of that sound.

Turning her head, she saw a woman with long black hair and a large pair of breasts walking into view, making her feel somewhat uncomfortable at the sight.

"There she is." Koneko warned.

"Wait, seriously? I mean... no offense, but she looks more like a normal woman than a-" Ishie replied.

The woman laughed as her body bent backwards in an impossible angle.

"Monster?" She finished, feeling her left eye twitch.

She moved a leg forward, right as her skin stretched out to form two frontal legs resembling her hands with blood red nails that resembled claws. Before she knew it...

*"STOMP!"*

Ishie saw her legs slam the ground as the woman had changed into some kind of monstrous centaur.

"Like we said, it always ends in ugliness." Kiba reminded her.

"Oh yeah, I'm definitely not having dinner tonight..." Ishie declared.

Rias glared at the Stray Devil.

"Viser, for the crime of betraying your master to fulfill your lustful wants and desires, your sins are beyond any Devil's! In the name of Gremory, return to where you belong or meet your death!" She announced.

"Can it you little slut, you're just jealous my breasts are bigger than yours!" Viser laughed, drooling as she began to grope them.

"This is your final warning, go back to your master, now!" Rias shouted, pointing at her.

At that moment, Ishie noticed magic circles around her nipples.

"Uh... guys, are those supposed to be there!?" She mentioned.

Everyone finally noticed them as they began to spin, and seeing her friends move away, Ishie dived to the floor just in time to avoid some kind of nipple acid that melted the walls.

"She's definitely not going back to her master..." Ishie remarked.

"I agree." Rias replied.

She looked at Kiba.

"On it." He replied.

Disappearing with his speed, Viser tried to grab the others with her forelegs, only for him to reappear before her.

*"SLASH!"*

Viser screamed as the holy energy burn through her skin, while blood sprayed across the walls on her sides.

"Koneko!" Rias shouted.

"See you on the flip side." She nodded.

Forming her Nekomata features, she jumped through the air and landed by Viser, right as her lower mouth tried to chomp her. Koneko simply held out her hands and held the monstrous Devil in place.

"Let's see you try gritting these teeth." Koneko declared.

She simply moved her hands, causing a sickening crunch that was likely from Viser's waist and hips as their bones shattered, along with all the teeth in her stomach mouth.

'Note to self, do _not_ ask her for a massage.' Ishie thought, gulping as she did.

One of Viser's amputated arms began twitched before aiming itself at Rias, right as Ishie was looking its way.

"Rias, look out!" She warned.

Rias turned as the arm lunged towards her, only for Ishie to blast out a magical beam that incinerated it and then continued to shoot Viser right in the eyes. She let out a horrid scream as the attack momentarily blinded her.

"Whoa... thanks for catching that Ishie." Rias said, her voice a little shaky.

"No problem." Ishie smiled.

"Alright, finish her off Akeno." Rias ordered.

"Got it." She replied.

Holding a hand up, Ishie winced at the massive amount of holy lightning she fired off, clearly not holding back as Viser managed to take it.

"Wow, looks like this chick's a bit durable. Guess I shouldn't hold back." Akeno realized.

Firing off a stronger surge, Viser's entire body only appeared as a black shadow within the lightning until she finally fell onto the ground, smelling like scorched meat and smoke.

Rias took this moment to walk up to her.

"Any last words before we finish this?" Rias inquired.

"Just kill me..." Viser growled.

"Fine then, I'll get this over with." She replied.

Forming her signature power, a dark claw grabbed Riser before vaporizing her body. Looking at where her body once was as Akeno did the same to Viser's remaining arm, she looked at Rias in confusion.

"She seemed kind of weak for the threat you set her up to be." Ishie admitted.

"Viser was just a simple Pawn without any flashy powers. There are worse Strays out there, some that can even wipe out an entire pursuit force meant to kill them." Rias explained.

Ishie flinched in response, once again missing Koneko briefly lowering her head at what was said.

"Well, now that we've taken care of this. Let's go pick up Asia and go get you a Familiar." Rias smiled.

"S-Sure..." Ishie nervously nodded.

* * *

After going back to the club room to pick up Asia, a magic circle took the group to a forest full of creatures that were either known as myths to humanity, or demonic versions of existing animals they were more familiar with.

Taking a look around, Ishie and Asia both took in where they were, especially the dark purple sky above them.

"Where are we? And I don't just mean this forest." Ishie asked.

"A special forest where Familiars live, which just happens to be in Hell." Rias revealed.

Ishie's face froze at that, looking at the sky again.

"OK, this totally wasn't like anything I expected. It actually looks like a nice place." She remarked.

"Most reincarnated Devils have that reaction the first time they come here." Akeno smiled.

At that moment, a shadow passed by.

"W-What was that!?" Asia asked, she and Ishie hugging each other tightly.

"No need to worry." Rias reassured them.

At that moment, the form of an old Devil man with red hair and small black eyes came into view. He wore a blue baseball cap that was backwards, a sleeveless white shirt and red khakis divided by a blue jacket wrapped around his waist, a yellow backpack as big as his back, and sneakers of a blue and white color.

"Now who is it that I see before me? It looks like the familiar face of Rias Gremory!" The man greeted.

"Ishie, Asia? This is Zatouji, he's the Devil responsible for watching this entire forest and helping new Devils in finding their Familiars." Rias revealed.

"And in case you couldn't tell? He's obsessed with making things rhyme." Akeno added.

Ishie blinked a few times before regaining her senses.

"Uh... hi there, I'm Ishie Hyoudou, and... I'm here to get a Familiar?" She greeted.

"If your goal is to find familiars galore? You've come at the right time, that's for sure! Now tell me all your wants and desires! A strong one? A fast one? One that breathes fires?" Zatouji inquired.

Ishie wasn't sure what to say in response, looking away for a moment.

"Uh... I don't really know?" She admitted.

Zatouji clicked his tongue and wagged his finger.

"This is why amateurs annoy. Don't treat this like you're just picking a toy! If you don't bother to put your heart into it, then you'll be here forever and never find the right fit!" He exclaimed.

Ishie blinked in surprise.

"OK, then... is it fine if I just want one that's cute or fun to be around?" She inquired.

He smiled at that.

"Fun? Done, and done!" Zatouji approved.

'Thank goodness...' Ishie sighed in relief.

* * *

Following Zatouji through the forest, they encountered various familiars that Ishie could have chosen, but she couldn't find that one properly clicked for her.

"I feel at this rate we'll never find the one I want." Ishie sighed.

"Don't give up, we still have plenty of time to look before we have to leave." Rias reassured her.

Zatouji suddenly stopped.

"Oh my... look high!" He declared.

Everyone looked at the tree he was pointing to, where a Blue Dragon that was somewhat like a puppy with its large eyes could be seenseen, eating some kind of scaled fruit that looked like an apple.

"What is that?" Ishie asked.

"That's a Sprite Dragon you see before you. It has the power to shoot out lightning that's blue." Zatouji revealed.

"Hey, isn't that one of the rarest Familiars you can find?" Kiba asked.

"It is, this is the first time I've seen one." Rias confirmed.

"Do it now if you want this one claimed. Because once they grow up, they can no longer be tamed." Zatouji advised.

"Maybe this is the one you're looking for." Akeno realized.

"What makes you say that?" Ishie inquired.

"Since you have the power of the White Dragon, perhaps this little guy's a perfect fit for you?" She clarified.

Looking at the small Dragon once more, Ishie felt something different than the Familiars she saw.

"Yeah, maybe that's it. Let's-" She agreed.

Suddenly, a drop of green goo landed on her. Her face suddenly turned blue as she looked up, seeing a moving glob of goop start to drop towards her.

"Green slime!" She screamed.

Everyone saw Ishie immediately dart off, though only Asia was confused.

"Why is Ishie panicking?" Asia asked.

"Eating clothes is the only power of this green slime, and to most girls that gives them nightmares every time." Zatouji answered.

Ishie screamed as she tried to blast it with magic, which it just slithered around.

It lurched at her, making her scream as it was about to tackle her to the ground.

*"ZAP!"*

At that moment, everyone saw blue lightning fry the slime. When it tried to get back up again, the same blue lightning struck it until it puffed out some smoke and then lifelessly splattered across the ground.

"Huh?" Ishie blinked, confused over what just happened.

The Sprite Dragon landed on her shoulder at that moment, nuzzling her cheek and making Ishie giggle as it did.

"Stop, that tickles!" She smiled.

"Amazing, but... why did it just help her like that?" Kiba asked, somewhat confused.

"I've heard rumors that Sprite Dragons only give themselves to the purest of heart and the those they see as worthy masters, but I don't think that's what did it." Rias recalled, also unsure.

Zatouji smirked at the sight.

"The answer's as clear as seeing someone's in fear." Zatouji replied.

Everyone looked at him.

"Sprite Dragons don't attack unless their loved ones are in trouble, which in the familiar world means that Dragon and lovely lady should be together on the double." He explained.

"He thinks she's his mommy." Koneko stated, smiling a bit.

That comment made everyone go _Aww~_ in response.

"Well, isn't that sweet? Tonight really was a treat." Zatouji agreed, nodding his head.

At that moment, Ishie put the Sprite Dragon on the ground.

"OK, so do I just take him home with me, or..." She asked.

"That's the next step. You'll need to link your magic to create a summoning contract for whenever you need him, and then say..." Rias answered.

She whispered the rest to her, causing Ishie to nod as she placed her hand out and created two magic squares that spun opposite to each other.

"In the name of Ishie Hyoudou, accept this pact and be my Familiar." She chanted.

After that, the Sprite Dragon flew into Ishie's arm, nuzzling into her chest like they were mother and child.

"So, what are you be naming him?" Akeno asked.

"I'm going to call him... Rassei, a mix of Raigeki and the male version of my name." Ishie decided.

"Then it's nice to meet you-" Kiba greeted.

Rassei immediately glared at Kiba before blasting him with his lightning, causing everyone to gasp in surprise before the crispy Knight fell on the ground.

"W-What just happened!?" Ishie questioned.

"Ooh, something I forgot to mention about these creatures. They hate other males, that's just one of their features." Zatouji chuckled.

"You... could have said that earlier..." Kiba replied, coughing out some smoke.

Ishie let out a forced laugh, realizing she either had to keep Rassei away from Kiba, or somehow get the little Dragon to either accept or tolerate his presence. Something she had a feeling would not be an easy task to achieve.

However, that would be nothing compared what would happen to her a week later, as the month of April came to an end.

* * *

_Ishie looked around as she noticed what looked like a Japanese Town in the earliest years of the Edo Period, specifically around the time of the Meireki Era's notable fire, based on all the flames around her._

_"Huh? What's going on? This is a weird dream, even by my standards... wait, how do I already know this is a dream?" She questioned._

**_("I didn't expect this would be how our first meeting would occur.")_**_ A male voice responded._

_Ishie's eyes widened as she looked around for the voice she heard, but only when a heavy stomp demolished a building was she finally able to find the source. It was hard enough to see due to the flames, and what she saw? It was so huge that it likely only added to the darkness._

_Before her stood some kind of giant creature, with a large pair of white eyes being the only visual aid to some kind of face this mighty beast possessed._

_"This voice... why does it feel like I've heard it before?" Ishie asked herself._

**_("Of course you've heard it before. After all, I am inside you.")_**_ The beast replied._

_"Huh?" She blinked in surprise._

_The being's face got closer, and despite feeling she should move away, something in her body seemed to anchor her feet in place._

**_("It's strange... my voice should have reached you long ago, but for some reason, only now are you able to hear it.")_**_ He wondered aloud._

_"W-What do you mean?" Ishie questioned._

**_("No matter, I'm glad that I've finally gotten the chance to meet you directly, partner... or should I be calling you Ishie?")_**_ He continued._

_Hearing the word partner, Ishie's eyes widened._

_"Wait, partner... doesn't that mean-" She realized._

_Before she could finish speaking, everything in her dream world began to break as the silhouette before her began to disappear, only briefly showing a white reptilian face with golden horns and blue eyes._

* * *

The next morning, while she was in class, Ishie couldn't stop yawning.

"Yikes... what happened to you? Did you not get any sleep last night?" Katase asked, a worried look on her face.

"I did, but I kept waking up from this dream all night." Ishie replied tiredly.

"I wondered why you slept in so late. I would have helped if you had let me know." Asia apologized.

Matsuda and Motohama rushed towards Ishie's desk.

"You're morning wakeup call is Asia!?" Motohama questioned angrily.

"Uh... hello? We're sisters now?" Ishie replied.

"I bet she even serves you breakfast in bed too!" Matsuda growled.

"Her French toast is pretty tasty." She mentioned.

Both of them let out angry yells, annoying Murayama enough that she pulled out her personal shinai.

*"WHACK! WHACK!"*

The two were soon laying on the ground with swell bumps on their heads.

"Is... this a regular thing?" Asia asked, surprised at the action.

"Enough that the three of us occasionally question if these two are masochists." Ishie sighed.

"Masochists?" Asia repeated in confusion.

Ishie panicked once she realized what she said.

"Oh god! It's nothing, OK? Forget you ever heard that word!" She panicked, waving her hands out.

"O... K?" Asia replied in surprise.

Deciding to break the tension, Katase faked three coughs.

"So, this dream of yours. What was it about?" She asked.

"Well, I was in ancient Japan, possibly as a samurai going by how it looked like the Meireki Era and its great fire. That's when I saw this giant silhouette talking to me. That silhouette was some kind of beast that called me... partner." Ishie explained.

Katase blinked in surprise.

"That's..." Katase replied.

"It's kind of vague, isn't it? All I can really say is that doesn't fit your usual fantasies or dreams." Murayama stated.

"I know, so I'm hoping Rias might know something." Ishie replied.

All three of them sighed in response.

"Sorry we can't help much in any occult stuff." Katase apologized.

"Don't worry about it, even I still don't get everything." Ishie reassured them.

Asia gave an embarrassed laugh as she nodded her head.

"And then there's a few things I'm getting the feeling I probably shouldn't know. For one example, I asked Asia about what Holy Water would do if it touched me... her reply was _something bad_." Ishie mentioned.

"Why, does it make Devils melt?" Murayama asked.

Asia didn't say anything, just sweating slightly.

The sudden awkwardness in the room caused Ishie, Katase, and Murayama to let out some forced laughter.

* * *

Later on, Ishie and Asia arrived in the old school building, with Murayama and Katase deciding to join them. Ishie was currently explaining everything about her dream to Rias, who was currently deep in thought.

"Hmm... tell me Ishie, was there any kind of details you could make out on this creature, or something that felt off after you woke up?" She asked.

"Actually, yeah. I felt some pain flare up on my back, but it was brief, almost as if my sudden movement caused it." Ishie recalled.

Hearing that, Rias' eyes widened.

"You know!?" Katase realized.

Rias closed her eyes, taking a moment to think of how to properly describe it.

"More than likely, the White Dragon was trying to make contact with you." She revealed.

"Wait, it's still alive?" Murayama asked in surprise.

"To be honest, I don't know all of the full details myself, but... the White Dragon inside of Ishie's Sacred Gear? He was sealed in there because he was so powerful, not even God when aided by an army was able to kill him." Rias explained.

Ishie's eyes widened somewhat.

"You mean like... it's soul is inside of there?" She asked, placing her left hand over the back of her right hand.

"Exactly." Rias confirmed.

Ishie began to break out into a nervous sweat, worried about what the Dragon might be doing.

"Don't worry, he won't hurt you. It would do him more harm than good." Rias reassured her.

She sighed in relief.

"Now that we've gotten that cleared up, you have some summon requests. Think you can handle them all?" Rias inquired.

"Of course, two or three shouldn't be too much." Ishie agreed.

"There are seven in total." Rias replied, giggling after she did.

Ishie paled at that, causing Murayama and Katase to start laughing in response, though Ishie quickly shook her head and forced a confident look onto her face.

"I still stand by what I said..." She replied.

* * *

The day quickly went by, and everyone other than Akeno began heading back home. As they did, Rias watched from the window, with Akeno looking over the monthly reviews for everyone's summon requests.

When she got to Ishie's, what she saw surprised her quite a bit.

"Rias, have you seen Ishie's reviews yet?" Akeno inquired.

"Not yet, why do you ask? Is there something I should be concerned over?" Rias answered, raising an eye.

Akeno shook her head.

"No, if anything... you should be shocked over how far she's progressed in such a short amount of time. She's managed to get multiple contracts despite how new she is, has managed to pick up on magic fairly fast, and killed a Fallen Angel with six wings." She revealed.

Rias let out a silent gasp.

"Ishie's already made it to our level, and while I'm not saying she'll be quick to surpass us anytime soon, it's clear that she's a natural at being a Devil. Perhaps it's time you consider using that to your advantage like I suggested last week?" Akeno suggested.

"Even if I tell my brother I have the White Dragon as a servant, it doesn't mean he can-" Rias replied, turning her head away.

"Oh no, that's not what I mean. I'm saying you should suggest something else." She clarified.

Rias paused at that.

"Are you saying that we should try having my brother convince the Elders to..." Rias realized.

"He keeps pushing the date forward. You have to admit it, this may be the only option you have left." Akeno confirmed.

Rias let out a sigh.

"I guess you're right, though if that's the case..." She relented.

Focusing her gaze on her, Akeno nodded in understanding.

"Of course, I'll leave you to it. Though I'd advise that you let Ishie know something's big coming. If this does go well, she should be aware of what she'll be getting into." She suggested.

"I'll make sure to do that after seeing if this works." Rias promised, smiling as she did.

Akeno bowed before leaving the room, and once she saw her outside, Rias sighed as she took out a flier and let it drop to the floor.

A serious expression formed on her face as she saw someone appear.

"I need you to pass on a message for me, if that's alright." She requested.

* * *

Back in the Hyoudou House, the sight of Ishie and Asia in the bathroom could be seen as the former combed the latter's hair. As Ishie moved the comb through Asia's blonde locks, a thought came to mind.

"Hey Asia? Since you're now living a new life with my family, maybe you should consider changing your hairstyle a bit." Ishie suggested.

"Really?" Asia asked.

"Yeah, I used to wear twin tails in Elementary School, but changed to my current hairstyle once I got to Middle School." She answered, recalling her old hairstyle.

Asia thought about it for a moment.

"You don't have to if you prefer how your hair is now, it's just a suggestion to consider. If you do go for it, I'll make sure to help you out." Ishie continued.

"OK." Asia smiled.

Suddenly, a magic circle appeared before Ishie, getting their attention as a small hologram of Rias appeared from it.

"Rias?" Ishie said in surprise.

_"Hello Ishie."_ Rias replied.

"It's kind of late, what are you-" Ishie tried to ask.

_"Before you try to reply, this is a recorded message I'm passing on to you because I don't have the luxury of being able to speak with you in real time. Just know that what I'm about to tell you is very important."_ She continued.

Both of them went silent as they listened.

_"You may remember how I've been kind of spaced out over the last few days, and the reason for that... it will be clear when you come tomorrow. I have a feeling you don't like to fight when there isn't a need for it, but in a sense... there both is and isn't. In some level, this will affect you and everyone else in my peerage, so I need you to be willing to help me however I can, depending on how things go. Right now, I'm in an important meeting, and depending on how it goes? We may have to fight someone."_ Rias explained.

'Fight? Fight who? Is there some kind of threat like the Fallen Angels on its way?' Ishie thought with worry.

_"Back when you rescued Asia, I chose to believe in you on your request, though this time? I believe in you over something for my sake, so... I hope you'll be able to pull off another miracle."_ Rias requested, a begging tone in her voice.

Ishie felt her eyes widen, seeing a sad and terrified look on Rias' face... the first time she ever had due to blacking out when she made once over her light poisoning.

With that, the magic circle faded.

"Ishie, what do you think Rias was talking about?" Asia asked.

"I don't know, but... it sounded serious." Ishie admitted.

* * *

The next day, Ishie and Asia met up with Kiba, telling them about Rias' recorded message and how scary it sounded.

"Kiba, do you know what she was warning me about?" Ishie asked.

"Yeah, it's been going on for some time, but there is one thing that would upset her. I'm guessing it's finally reached a point the rest of us will need to get involved." Kiba confirmed.

Ishie saw Kiba's normally calm face turn serious.

'Even him? I don't like this...' She thought.

Walking into the club room, Koneko was seen munching on some candy before noticing them.

"They're here." She stated.

Looking by Rias' desk, Ishie saw someone she didn't recognize.

It was a beautiful young woman appearing to be in her early twenties with long silver hair tied in two long braid with small blue bows at the ends, while the rest is let down which ends in twin braids, and red eyes.

Her choice of attire was a blue and white French maid outfit with long sleeves and a white maid headband over her head, implying she might be this for Rias or someone in her family.

"Pardon me, but which of you is Lady Rias' new servant?" The woman inquired.

"That would be me." Ishie answered, raising her hand.

"Greetings, my name is Grayfia Lucifuge, a maid in service to the House of Gremory." She greeted, bowing as she did.

As Ishie looked at Grayfia, she felt a powerful aura leaking off of her.

"Kiba, why is there so much demonic energy surrounding her?" She whispered.

"Because she's the wife and Queen of Rias' older brother, and both of them are among the most powerful Devils of all time." He whispered back.

Hearing that, Ishie's eyes briefly froze.

Akeno was already fairly strong, and she had said her magic potential exceeded hers. That had to mean this Grayfia's level of power made Akeno's and her own look small in comparison.

At least, that was her guess, but she was sure she wasn't too far off the mark.

"So, this is the one who possesses the White Dragon?" Grayfia inquired.

"Yes, it's her." Rias confirmed.

With that question out of the way, she sighed as she stood up, getting everyone's attention while Ishie and Asia nervously awaited the answer to what was going on.

"Most of you already know this, but it's time I confirm it. The truth is I'm-" She tried to say.

A magic circle appeared in the center of the room, making Rias scowl once she saw it.

Fire soon erupted from the circle, though somehow didn't burn anything. However, what was inside the circle soon grabbed everyone's attention, with the flames fading to reveal a man with blonde hair and blue eyes wearing a burgundy suit.

"It's nice to see you, my beloved fiancé." The man greeted.

Ishie dropped her bag in shock, while Asia simply stared at the revelation with her mouth open wide.

"Uh... so, who is this?" Ishie inquired.

"This gentleman is Lord Riser Phenex. The third son of the House of Phenex, and as you just heard him say, fiancé to Lady Rias for the last 5 years." Grayfia revealed.

Seeing the look on this Riser guy's face, then Rias' scowl, it didn't take long for Ishie to put everything together.

Both of them were in an arranged marriage, and regardless of how Devils did it compared to Humans, it was clear Rias wanted nothing to do with this man in particular. Truth be told, seeing him made her feel a little uncomfortable as well.

"Akeno?" Rias said, clear reluctance in her voice.

"At once, Miss President." She replied.

Heading to the kitchen area to brew some tea, Riser sat himself down at the couch. One thing lead to another as Rias was forced to sit next to him while her peerage stood against the wall opposite to the couch and Asia stood by Grayfia.

Akeno soon brought in the tea and gave him a cup, an annoyed look on her face showing she didn't like Riser any better than Rias did, especially as he took a sip.

"Lovely, the tea brewed by my Rias' Queen is most delectable." Riser praised.

"Thank you for the compliment, sir." Akeno replied as she bowed, hating every second of it.

She soon joined the others against the wall.

'Just how much are they holding back? Even without feeling her aura, Rias looks like she's about to explode.' Ishie thought, worried how long before something gave.

As if her own thoughts jinxed it, Riser attempted to touch Rias... only for her to slap his hand away and stand up.

"Enough Riser, how long will it take for you to understand I have and never will have any intentions of marrying you!?" She declared, glaring at him.

"My darling, I don't think you have the right to be so selfish. We're still recovering our numbers from the last two wards, especially the loss of our former King. Remember that it's imperative that we don't let pureblooded Devils go extinct." Riser smirked confidently.

That caught Ishie by surprise.

'Wait, two wars? Extinction? Former king!?" She thought nervously.

Grayfia intervened at that moment, flaring her power to get his attention.

"I believe you should listen before making any rash comments. After all, we wouldn't be meeting like this if what you claimed was true." She warned.

Riser shrugged.

"If the Ultimate Queen makes such a claim, even Riser will be convinced to listen. Go ahead." He permitted.

"Thank you." She replied with a bow.

She cleared her throat slightly.

"As both of you are aware? There has been many discussions and talks over this engagement, such as when it will occur, and on Rias' side, the hope to dissolve it. Until now, her requests have been ignored, but as of a recent event? They have permitted her a method that will finally decide the fate of this engagement." She revealed.

This caught Riser's attention, but he simply listened with mild interest.

"Lady Rias, and Lord Riser... the two of you will settle this matter by having a Rating Game."

* * *

**There it is... Grayfia has announced the Rating Game between Rias and Riser, so now all that's left is to see how Ishie will react to what a Rating Game is. I apologize if this chapter seems a bit compressed due to covering so many different scenes at once, but removing most of the stuff including the perverted duo left me with a lot of room, and with how I'm writing this story, adding all those scenes in was necessary.**

**Speaking of those scenes, you may have noticed how Akeno acted and how Rias didn't mention Ishie has a Mutation Bishop, so to explain those? With how Rias' peerage (sans Gasper) have overcome most of their issues, I figured in Akeno's case, her backstory is what led to her S&M tendencies. As such, in this story, she never developed them.**

**For the lack of a Mutation Bishop mention? That's related to what was said about Saji needing Four Pawns, as in this story... despite that I said Ishie got Gasper's piece, there are no Mutation Pieces in this story to switch things up. In their place, if someone's powers are dormant, this causes their value to be lower than what it actually is. By the time Saji was reincarnated, he already manifested his Absorption Line, so he needed Four Pawns.**

**Now, for the matter of Ishie's hair? I actually wanted her to have black hair from the start. However, a friend suggested that to help physically represent how she starts to accept reality, I should start the story with her hair a different color to give off a chuuni vibe to reflect this. There are other reasons why I did this, but that's the only one I can actually tell you about.**

**Last thing before we end this chapter is, as you saw with Ruruko, that Ishie will have a few love rivals. Part of this is to keep one candidate from taking too big of a lead, while also influencing Ishie's decision by having her consider if any of her potential love interests may be happier with another girl. Anyways, next chapter begins the Gremory Team's preparations for the game against Riser, so I hope you'll enjoy it.**

**Until next time everyone, and stay awesome! ^^**


	5. Game of Gremory, Part 1

**Ladies and gentlemen, I give to you... the first part of the Rating Game between Riser and Rias! *blows noise maker* Now, before I say anything else, while the training camp scenes will appear in this chapter, I'm mostly going over the non-training scenes to both surprise all of you over any tricks that Ishie will learn during it, and because those scenes were already somewhat used in Chapter 2.**

**While this chapter is focused on the training camp, it won't actually show the training itself, and will instead be focused on introducing some lore through the talk Rias gives about the Great War, and some more bonding between Ishie and the others. There's also one particular emotion in this chapter that will have a major presence, and you'll know why by the end.**

**This chapter is also going to help start getting Ishie on the track to actually finding romance, since I'm pretty sure most of you can tell up to now, Ishie has not actually made any romantic progress with Kiba, and the reason behind that will be made as of this chapter. Since I don't want to give anything away, I can only say that only one thing will keep the title as is.**

**If I had to really define this chapter in a single sentence, then it would be... the moment this story fully embraces the differences that settles what makes it similar to canon, but also different. Also, like I've done in the chapters before this, some of these changes will be ones I personally prefer, but others will be fixing a few scenes and such that were a little off, such as why Riser had Phoenix Tears.**

**So, let's get this chapter and Rating Game started!**

* * *

**[Chapter 5 - Game of Gremory, Part 1]**

"Lady Rias, and Lord Riser... the two of you will settle this matter by having a Rating Game." Grayfia announced.

Riser's eyes widened slightly.

"Rating Game?" Ishie repeated.

"It's a type of game High-Class Devils play with each other. Basically, it's a war simulation in the form of a sport where they fight with their servants for the entertainment, and sometimes even to settle a dispute." Kiba explained.

"Oh, so is that the reason behind why Evil Pieces are based on Chess Pieces?" She inquired.

"That's right. All of it was based on being able to play the Rating Game." Akeno confirmed.

Riser smirked in response.

"And Riser has played through numerous Rating Games, scoring many wins for himself. Unfortunately, my inexperienced bride isn't even old enough to have played a single game." He stated.

"Wait, what!?" Ishie exclaimed.

"Unfortunately, only mature Devils are currently allowed to participate, so Rias hasn't been given the opportunity to play a game." Akeno explained, just barely managing to keep her cool.

"You mean... like this deal is in Riser's favor?" Ishie realized.

"Nothing about this whole ordeal has favored Rias, the whole reason it's likely even being offered is because the higher ups are confident that she'll lose." Koneko confirmed, scowling at Riser as she did.

He chuckled before looking at Rias.

"Are these five really the only servants you have? Actually, now that I think about it, where is that small boy I saw with you last time? Did your inexperience get him killed?" Riser inquired.

Ishie was confused by that last part.

"What if they are? Also, you have no right to ask me about that?" Rias replied, glaring at him.

Riser laughed before snapping his fingers.

*"SIZZLE!"*

A wall of fire appeared formed as a group of fifteen girls, with their appearances that looked to be between the ages of Koneko and Grayfia, appeared from the flames.

"Riser has fifteen servants. In other words, a full set." He announced.

'As in we'll be fighting three times our own forces?' Ishie gasped in horror.

Not long after that thought finished, Riser turned towards Grayfia, finally dropping his smile for what seemed to be an annoyed frown.

"However, Riser still doesn't see why anyone would agree to this?" He questioned.

"While it's true you have larger forces compared to her smaller and incomplete set? As of recently, Rias has achieved something that even a Devil such as yourself has not with her servants." Grayfia revealed.

"And what exactly would that be!?" Riser questioned, unable to fathom he could fall behind to his fiancé.

Grayfia silently motioned to Ishie.

"That girl? Please, just what's so special about her?" Riser questioned.

"I agree, she's basically her Queen in the form of a kid." The female blonde remarked.

'Ignore her remark Ishie, ignore it!' She thought, gripping her fists.

"Because that girl you see before you is none other than this generation's current White Dragon Emperor." Grayfia revealed.

Riser's eyes widen, while the rest of his peerage let out a loud gasp of surprise.

"Ah, I see. The reason this idea was even considered is because Sirzechs suggested a fight between Dragon and Phoenix, knowing once he did so, the amount of people that would want to see it would force them to accept." He realized.

Ishie let out a silent gasp, then looked at Rias in response, who gave a sad look to confirm her thoughts.

"Fine, Riser will humor this Rating Game, since defeating the White Dragon shall give me an amazing reputation once Rias becomes my bride." Riser smirked, accepting the proposal.

"Glad you did, because I promise you that I'll make you regret it." Rias declared.

He chuckled in reply.

"We shall see, and since Riser is feeling generous, you can have a small grace period to prepare yourselves. It's only sporting that I give you a fighting chance." Riser offered.

Walking to his peerage, the wall of fire reappeared.

"Till next time... my dear Rias." He declared.

The fiery wall rose up and enveloped the group, taking them back to where they came from before it fizzled out. Once he was gone left, Rias tightened her fist and looked at the floor before letting out a loud scream.

Ishie and Asia looked at her with shock, while everyone else didn't even bat an eye towards it.

"I... hate... him! Talking all high and mighty like that, I just want to punch him in the face and knock all the teeth out of that smug smile!" She screamed, her aura flaring out like a dark-colored fire.

After letting out a few more screams for another minute, Rias finally calmed down and let out a few heavy breathes, finally recollecting herself.

"Feel better now, Lady Rias?" Grayfia inquired.

"Yeah... I got it all out of my system." She replied.

Taking a deep breath, she looked at Ishie with a guilty look on her face before bowing towards her.

"I'm sorry about all of this. You didn't know anything about this, and I chose not to tell you about it either, yet I used the fact you have the power of the White Dragon... just to make this Rating Game happen." She apologized.

"I should apologize as well. Rias was against involving you in any way, but she was running out of options and time, so... I convinced her to tell her brother he should use you as a means of guaranteeing she'd have this one last chance to free herself from this marriage." Akeno apologized, also bowing towards her.

Ishie was kind of annoyed they had done this, but considering what she knew, she decided to look towards Grayfia. She was quick to notice this, and turned her head to face her as well.

"Miss Grayfia, do you mind if I ask you a question about this engagement?" She inquired.

"As long as its within my power to answer, then yes." Grayfia confirmed, nodding her head.

Ishie took a deep breath.

"This whole marriage thing with Rias and Riser... can you look me in the eyes, and say with full certainty that her _entire_ family is against it?" Ishie asked, staring at her eyes.

"As the House of Gremory's head maid, I can confirm her entire family is against this engagement." Grayfia answered.

Looking into her eyes, Ishie saw them stay straight and focused... she was telling her the truth. With that answer, Ishie took a deep breath before looking at Rias and Akeno, both of them still having guilty looks on their faces.

"Rias... Akeno..." She began.

Both of them looked at Ishie, who still seemed to look somewhat annoyed, only for her to smile at them.

"Just promise you'll never do it again, alright?" Ishie requested, her tone alone saying she forgave them.

Rias smiled at that.

"Of course, we promise." She replied, feeling a weight leave her chest.

"Thank you for being able to forgive us." Akeno replied, smiling at her.

Rias soon looked at Grayfia.

"So, when will this Rating Game be? I assumed it was going to been tomorrow, but since Riser just offered us a grace period..." She inquired.

"You're correct about the original date. As for a new date, I'm not completely certain as of yet, though with the Rating Games already schedules and the nature of this one... I believe the earliest time will be at the end of the month." Grayfia guessed.

"And it will probably be that earliest date, so that means we'll have only 10 days to train for it." Rias realized.

She put a finger to her chin.

"Everyone? Start packing your bags for the mountains, we're going on a trip!" Rias declared.

"Eh!?" Ishie exclaimed.

* * *

Walking up part of a mountain range, the trio of Ishie, Murayama, and Katase could be seen panting as they struggled to walk it. Rassei was flying besides Ishie, holding a bag that had enough weight to be considered heavy to a Sprite Dragon.

At the top of path, Rias was standing with Akeno and Asia, waiting for them to arrive. Kiba and Koneko were currently out of sight, needing a little longer before they could follow the others.

"You're almost there you guys, just a little more!" Rias encouraged.

"W-we're almost there... Rias!" Ishie shouted, panting as she did.

She soon collapsed onto her knees, getting her friends' attention as she slowly reached for her juice bottle.

"Rias, am I allowed to heal them?" Asia asked.

"Not if it's Ishie. We need her to get used to carrying that much on her own, otherwise she won't be able to build up her muscle mass." She replied, shaking her head.

Ishie was soon back on her feet, and the trio continued... right as Kiba caught up with an equally heavy bag, yet seemed as fresh as a daisy.

"On your right." He warned as he passed them.

"What the? Are you sure he's not carrying a bag of feathers!?" Murayama questioned.

"Uh... if that's gonna get a reaction from you, then don't look at Koneko." Ishie advised.

"Why, what's in-" Katase asked.

Both of them turned to look at Ishie just as Koneko passed them by, making their eyes go white as they saw her carrying a _giant_ bag on her shoulders. Ishie wasn't sure how much bigger, but it looked to be _at least_ ten times the size of their bags.

"Never mind." Ishie replied, feeling a sweat drop on her face.

After walking a few more feet, all three of them finally made it to the top and slumped onto their knees, or butt in Ishie's case, and let out tired breaths.

"Please tell us that we're almost there or something... I beg of you!" Ishie groaned.

"No need to worry, we are." Rias answered.

Looking down at rest of the path as it went down, the sight of a villa owned by the Gremory came into view, making them smile.

"Wow, it's so beautiful!" Murayama praised.

"Once we get down there, the rest of the day is just resting before the first of our 10 days of training begins. As such, I'd advise you push yourselves to get their sooner than later." Rias suggested.

Hearing that, Ishie hopped on her feet and did just that.

"Freedom!" She screamed, slightly echoing to the others.

Watching the sight, Rias let out a slight giggle before everyone followed their motivated comrade to the Gremory's mountain villa.

* * *

After everyone caught up with Ishie, who currently had her feet stuck in the lake water, they dropped their bags on the ground.

"Oh, uh... you don't mind, right?" She asked, blushing slightly.

"No worries, me and the fish don't mind at all." Rias smiled.

Right after she said that, another two splashes were heard as Katase and Murayama did the same, making her giggle. Rassei quickly joined them, though in his case he chose to swim in the water since his whole body needed to cool off.

"We'll be inside, changing out of our sweaty clothes. Join us in the main hall once you're ready." Akeno stated.

"Got it." Ishie replied.

The others went inside to change, with about 5 minutes passing before Ishie and her friends finally joined them. It would be a combined total of 15 minutes before everyone had finally gathered in the main hall for their next task.

"While we may be resting our bodies, we shouldn't let ourselves be doing nothing. As such, I think it's time we let Ishie know the full history of the Devils, especially with how it relates to the Rating Game we're about to partake in." She stated.

"Do you Katase and I even need to be here for this part?" Murayama asked.

"Not in the same sense, but I'd still recommend you listen. That way you have some understanding of what's going on if there's ever any Devil business Ishie needs to talk with you about." Rias answered.

And with that, everyone followed Rias as she led them to one of the larger rooms in the villa.

* * *

Within a dark room in a certain building of Hell, one could see Grayfia walk towards a throne.

"Sirzechs." She stated.

In the throne across from her, the man she knew as her King and husband could be seen, revealing him to look like a male version of Rias if she were an adult. He wore a white suit similar to that of a European noble.

Hearing her call him, he looked her way.

"Hello Grayfia, I'm assuming there weren't any problems with the meeting?" Sirzechs asked.

"Things got heated as expected, but nothing beyond that. Riser didn't even make any threats... unless you were to count his declaration that he would defeat the White Dragon as such." Grayfia answered.

He chuckled that, knowing that sounded just like Riser.

"So, about this Ishie Hyoudou... what did Rias have to say about her skills?" He inquired.

"From what I've been told, Lady Rias claims her Queen actually stated her magic potential exceeded that of her own. With how her strength ranks at the level of a High-Class Devil, that is no small claim. More than likely, she'll use this grace period to help her develop it." Grayfia revealed.

"I'm not too surprised to hear something like that. If she didn't have anything to show for it, the White Dragon wouldn't have chosen her as a host." Sirzechs remarked.

Grayfia nodded her head.

"If I'm being honest, Lady Rias would have no chance of winning if she didn't have Ishie as her servant. The question is if she'll be able to match Riser's experience and tactics on the battlefield." She admitted.

"Yes, that will be the deciding factor, along with how serious Riser takes her. After all..." Sirzechs agreed.

He looked up slightly.

"She isn't considered one of the Rookies Four just because she's my younger sister."

* * *

With everyone gathered at the table, Rias stood before the group as she began.

"The history of Devils is an incredibly long story with a beginning that dates back quite a bit... though overall, there are three main events that make up our history. The first of these is obvious where our kind began." She stated.

"Let me guess, with Lucifer?" Ishie assumed, guessing the story of him once being an Angel was true.

Rias nodded in response.

"To properly begin... do any of you know about the concept of what Humanity refers to as Lost Continents?" She asked.

Ishie smiled once she said that, raising her hand.

"Alright then, go ahead Ishie." Rias said, looking at her.

"Lost Continents, better referred to as lost lands, are islands or continents believed to have existed during pre-history, only to disappear through one or more catastrophic geological phenomena. The only possible proof they exist is their few traces or legends, and their remains being deep in the sea, which has only had 5% of it ever explored." She revealed.

Rias' eyes widened at how descriptive she was, making her let out a whistle.

"Wow..." She praised.

"Don't be too surprised. Remember, I like to read fairy tales, so English got to be my best subject due to various legends and myths that gave me the same feeling when I read them." Ishie giggled.

'I really should have seen that coming.' Rias thought, realizing how obvious that had actually been.

She cleared her throat before continuing.

"Anyways, among these mythical places? There were only three that are truly real to the supernatural world. Like Humans have defined them, regardless of if they believe in them as having once actually existed or as just myths alongside us, they no longer exist... because Lucifer is the whole reason they sunk and left the Pacific Ocean so vast." Rias revealed.

Ishie, Katase, and Murayama all gasped at that, with Ishie nervously starting to bite a lock of her hair over what she was about to hear.

With that, Rias began speaking like she was reading out a story book.

"Lucifer is often said to be an Angel, but there are also cases where the Devil King that he is was really the Satan title our leaders use. The actual truth is a small mix of both. God did create him, but at the time was making a powerful energy. Michael had already been his first Angel, but he wanted to be ready if there were greater threats once day, and began the first out of his two attempts to create Super Angels, by creating divine light he hoped to be its incredibly holy power."

"Unfortunately, the energy began to grow too dangerous, becoming the first signs of the darkness we know today as demonic energy, and knew he could not finish it out of worry for what it may become. As such, he sealed it underneath the land of Lemuria, who he trusted as its indirect guardians due to their technology leading them to form the Tower of Babel, which he saw as proof of Humanity's potential that never happened."

"That ended up being a mistake, however, as he had forgotten long ago... he had sealed something else down there. That would be Lilith, the original Human woman. She had refused Adam out of hating the condition she was to always be beneath him, and God sealed her underneath Lemuria as her punishment. She soon found the power of Lucifer, and remembering what God had done to her, she reached out with her magic to wield as her own, only to get a much bigger result... she gave that power the gift of life."

At that point, Ishie knew exactly what was about to happen.

"The entire prison of theirs shook and rattled as Lucifer came to life, not going unnoticed by the people as the Tower of Babel fell as the first sign of things going wrong, and not long after... the magical energy being generated by the two spread out to all three continents. On Atlantis, a giant sea serpent rose, with its mere surfacing causing it to sink. On Mu, the tectonic plates and magnetic fields went wild and shattered it. While on Lemuria, a swarm of bugs fused together."

Ishie gasped at that.

"You're talking about the birth of Leviathan, Asmodeus, and Beelzebub in that exact order... aren't you!?" She realized.

"That's right. Dark manifestations of the ocean, land, and the sky... with Lucifer being the fire that surged their dark urges for destruction, and Lilith being the dark miasma of emotions that turned what should have been the blessings of light into living horrors." Rias confirmed.

Breathing deeply for a moment, she resumed her story telling narrative.

"Lemuria was still standing, and using their technology said to be able to challenge the Heavens, they tried fighting back against these monsters. Lucifer simply waited for the others to _rough them up a little_ before he would intervene. Beelzebub summoned swarms of bugs to devour their produce while merging some into bigger ones to wipe out all their technology, Leviathan flooded their lands in ways the survivors of Noah's flood were unprepared for, and Asmodeus manipulated gravity to disorient them."

"In the end, it was Lucifer that ended it all. While you might think my Power of Destruction is incredible, it's simply a weakened form of the power Lucifer held, and then gifted to the original Bael... as not even it has the feat of ending Lemuria like his ability. The surviving Humans would be forced onto other lands, creating the story about God being angered at the Tower of Babel's creation, and the original Devils reaped their benefits. Only then did God realize his error in trapping that power alongside Lilith."

"Shortly after, Lucifer began preparing to make themselves Devils and forced Lilith to use her power to make them. Many failures occurred until he birthed Mephisto Pheles, but it still failed since he had no strength or magic. Trying again, he eventually birthed Lucifuge, Mammon, and Belphegor, which he accepted, and used them to transform all five of them into Devils. However, it didn't feel like enough and he tried once more, and got an incredibly powerful monster from it, a Devil he named... Satan."

A loud gasp left Ishie's mouth, but she decided to wait before asking about it.

"He had dozens of powers, and Lucifer was proud of him, hoping to make many others like him. The only problem? All that power quickly drove Satan insane, and he went out of control. The sight of his suffering was too much... forcing Lucifer to end his suffering. As he laid dying, Lucifer apologized to him and said they would take his name, leading to the existence of the Four Satans, and then the Devil King spread Satan's powers and essence into the creation of 72 Devils, who would be the founders of the 72 pillars."

Rias took a breath at that point.

"They then made their way underneath the ground, building the foundation of Hell using the rest of the stolen remnant technology of the Lost Continents to build it, and with that... Devil civilization began." She finished.

The silence that follow was only broken once Ishie asked the question she had been holding since hearing Satan's name.

"Whoa... so, Satan was a Devil that Lucifer made as the first of an army to challenge God, but wasn't able to handle all its power?" Ishie asked.

"Right, and he's been used as the warning for Stray Devils ever since. He was a precursor to them in a sense." Rias confirmed.

Katase shivered.

"To think beings said to have that kind of power actually exist..." She remarked.

"Rias, no offense to you or any Devils, but your leaders? They sound like tyrants." Murayama confessed.

"None taken, because they were." Rias revealed.

Ishie and her friends felt their eyes widen at that.

"These next two stories are way too long to fully tell like the first, which was within a short enough time frame, so I'll just summarize them. This first one is why everything is how it currently is for the Three Great Powers... including this engagement." Rias continued.

One again, she resumed her story telling narrative.

"The Great War, a conflict instigated by the Satans who gained the desire to rule the entire world, and overtake God's kingdom. It was planned as a surprise attack, but Lilith... she was abused by Lucifer for more Devils, and came to realize what would happen, so she he warned God and the Fallen Angels, making both secretly prepare. During this time, God revealed why he actually sealed her long ago. Whatever it was, she disappeared shortly after hearing it."

"Soon, they began their attack, and during the time of 700 to 600 years ago... the Great War occurred. All of them began the destructive three-sided battle that ultimately ended up in neither victory nor defeat. Each battle in the war ended with our respective race's members going MIA or being killed, and in the end, equal loses. No one could fight anymore, so we were forced into an uneasy truce to stop it."

"For what the damages were, well... God was injured, and therefore his power had to be focused on the miracles he granted, so almost no new Angels have been born since. The Fallen Angels' numbers shrank, and due to lacking a figure on God or Lucifer's level, were in the worst place, but also could easily reproduce. As for us Devils, well... our leaders were all killed, likely in the same fight which lead to God's injury, and because of that... the Devils found themselves pushed to the brink of extinction."

"See, we Devils have long lives, but a very small birthrate. That caused the loss of our numbers to threaten our species due to the impact of that way. If you were to ask me how I'd best define the damages? Out of the 72 pillars... 40 of them were either wiped out, or forced to survive by losing all their pureblooded members, making it impossible for them to ever have another fully Devil member of their Clan... and serving as a harsh reminder."

Ishie's eyes widened at that. She was only mentioning the 72 pillars, but hearing half of what seemed to be the stronger legion of Devils? Their species really _was_ at risk!

"To give a more proper comparison? My family, Riser's, and Sona's were initially the 56th, 37th, and 12th pillars... the war promoted us to 27th, 21st, and 8th pillars. For the next 100 years after the war ended, were used to decide where our species would go before the next conflict." Rias finished.

"So, that's what Riser meant... I can't really tell how bad Lucifer's loss was if your kind considered him a tyrant." Ishie realized.

"You'll get a better understanding with the last story, and after that... I'll have more to reveal about how our government's currently working and trying to change, if you have any questions." Rias replied.

For the third and final time, Rias returned to her story telling narrative.

"After a whole century of being inactive... tensions finally broke between two different views between our people. There was the New Satan Faction, who wanted to focus on the redevelopment of our people and stop trying to invoke conflict like our leaders had, and the Old Satan Faction, who wanted to resume our attack despite the damages we had received. My brother was part of the former, while Grayfia and the Satans' families were of the latter."

Hearing that made Ishie blink in surprise, somewhat thinking of Sirzechs and Grayfia as Romeo and Juliet if they got a happy ending.

"There were no more talks to be had, and a Civil War began, with each side fighting for supremacy. My brother along with three of his allies led the front lines, becoming the current leaders we have today because of their efforts and why the New Satan Faction even had any chance of victory... no matter how slim it was. Eventually, Grayfia would join my brother's side as the last major battle of the Civil War was fought."

"His opponent was the most powerful Devil on the Old Satan Faction's side, who was the first and most powerful Super Devil to exist, having both strength of both Lucifer and Lilith in one. Her name was Rizevia Lucifer, who many still claim is the strongest Devil to this day. Both of them clashed in a battle that kept everyone away from them, which shook all of Hell at every corner, staying in a stalemate until my brother unleashed his Power of Destruction's true form... the Aura of Destruction."

"Many saw its immense power and thought he had won, but Rizevia proved her strength and survived it... before unleashing her own equal to it that did even more damage. The irony? While she won that battle, using that attack... cost the Old Satan Faction the war, because despite my brother survived and she could have finished him, she had her mother's heart, and realized Hell wouldn't survive if she kept going."

"She left the battle, and the other eldest children of the Satans followed her, costing their side too much fighting power and eventually being overwhelmed. In the end, we won the war, and Grayfia's father made a declaration to reset their clan to fully mark the change. The original Bael, my great grandfather Zekram Bael, became the technical King of our people while my brother and the others were named the new Lucifer and Satans respectively, and in a sense, Grayfia became the new Lilith."

Rias took a deep breath, grabbing some water from how dry her throat had become.

"With the war over, the Rating Games began with the introduction of Evil Pieces, which has become a huge part of culture today. With that, you now know the three main events of Devil history." She finished.

Ishie let all three of those major events register in her head. She was a Devil now, so all of them connected to her somewhat, and... it was a lot. Although, that left her with one lingering question.

"So, before I clear up the last few details, is anyone here still confused?" Rias asked.

"I am, mainly about where this... Rizevia and the other Devils went." Ishie answered.

Rias chuckled slightly at that, having a feeling that Ishie would have asked her about this well in advance, all because of what she said in response to her bringing up the Lost Continents at the beginning.

"No one's fully sure, but it's implied they went into the Human world, whereas the Old Satan Faction... who knows where they went? The thing is, deep down, the Devils still want their actual leaders' bloodlines to rule, and for that to happen, we need members of it who we know didn't share their ancestors' ideals. Luckily, the day soon came when Rizevia's words reached her fellow heirs, and not that long ago... they sent their children to us." Rias explained.

That surprised her Bishop greatly.

"Wait, so... their grand kids are part of the current government?" Ishie asked.

"Well, most of them are. Rizevia went so out of radar that not even her old friends know where she is. As such, we're still missing a Lucifer, and for that same reason we can't set up the Seven Satan system." She answered.

Hearing that got Katase's notice.

"Seven Satan system? Like, as in a real life equivalent to the seven deadly sins?" Katase inquired.

"That's right. Due to recent achievements they've made and being among the earliest, the Mammon and Belphegor clans have earned the right to join the rank of Satan, the same is true of the Lucifuge Clan, which after their reset became the Lilith Clan to both break their old cycle, and honor our still missing Devil Queen herself." Rias confirmed.

"So, your brother is currently the acting Lucifer, and your great grandpa's the one in the King's seat until you can find an actual Lucifer that's likely to be Rizevia's child, which will help fully change Devil society in the way they're planning?" Murayama summarized.

Rias nodded her head.

"Exactly." She confirmed.

At that moment, Rassei made his signature sound towards the nearby window, causing Rias to see it had gotten dark out.

"Oh my, is it that late already? I guess we should call it a day and start getting ready for dinner and a bath." Rias smiled.

* * *

It was an hour later, after everyone had enjoyed a nice dinner, than everyone began getting into the bath. Once she walked in with a towel wrapped around her, Ishie stared at the large bath all the girls were already in with awe.

"Wow, is this bath some kind of hidden hot springs or something?" Ishie asked, looking around.

"You can call it that if you want to." Rias replied, having her hair tied in an up do.

At that moment, Ishie put her towel on a nearby bench, showing off her lovely figure before sinking herself into the water on Rias' right side, with Akeno being shown on the right and also wearing an up do.

Once it began to really soothe her skin, Ishie let herself sink in a bit much, causing her to fully slip underwater for a second.

"Careful, we can't afford to have you drown." Akeno teased.

Hearing Akeno's words, she let out an embarrassed laugh as she looked away.

Meanwhile, off to the side, Katase looked at the group as Asia walked towards the pool from the washing area where she, Murayama, and Koneko were all currently sitting at. She then looked at her chest before letting out a sigh.

"Sad you're the only girl among us that isn't on the Double D team?" Koneko asked, looking at her.

"Yeah, kind of... hey, wait a second! Mine are bigger than yours!" Katase replied, glaring at Koneko.

"Are you sure?" She retorted.

Katase froze at that, unsure of how to reply to those words.

'Why do I have a bad feeling about her reply?' She thought.

The door slid open, getting Ishie's attention at first... until she suddenly blushed as she remembered only one other person wasn't in the bath yet.

"Wait, you're letting Kiba into the bath!?" Ishie shouted, feeling herself panic slightly.

"I don't see what the problem is with letting him join us. That, and this is the only bath in the entire villa, so it would be rude to make him wait." Rias answered.

She paled at that.

*"SPLASH!"*

Ishie's eyes turned as he saw him get in, quickly noticing Katase and Murayama silently staring at him.

'Of course, would they ever get this kind of chance again? Wait...' She thought, soon realizing something.

At that moment, Ishie whistled before slowly shimmying over towards Kiba, then slowly moved her hand to take Kiba's, making him blush as he felt her hand holding his.

"Really? Now you finally react to something she did?' Koneko glared.

Ishie mentally screamed and cheered at the chance she managed to get.

* * *

Late at night, Rias was seen walking through the halls as she prepared to spend some time outside, which is when she heard excited squeals from Ishie's room. Smiling as she walked up to it, the inside showed Ishie rolling back and forth.

"I held Kiba's hand while we were in a bath together! Major win for Team Kishie!" She squealed, not tired in the slightest.

"Ishie, you up?" Rias called.

Hearing Rias' voice from behind the door, she sweated a bit as she slowly turned around.

"U-Uh..." She stuttered.

Rias laughed a little in response.

"Relax, I'm not mad. This is actually perfect timing. I need to chat with you about something, so why not follow me outside for some fresh air?" She replied.

"Oh, I'll meet you there in a minute." Ishie replied.

Rias continued walking outside, while Ishie briefly went to grab a drink of water before following.

Once outside, she listened to everything about some of their strategy details for their Rating Game.

"You've been having Sona make our plan of attack?" Ishie asked.

"I can understand the surprise, and you're right in thinking that seems against the rules, since it is... when official Rating Games are concerned. However, this is an unofficial Rating Game due to our circumstances." Rias replied.

"Oh, I get it. We're taking advantage of a loophole." Ishie smiled.

"Yes, but we still have a lot to be worried about. For one? Riser has his own loophole he can exploit, which is he can have Phoenix Tears while we can't, simply because he has access to them through his family." Rias confirmed, sighing slightly.

Ishie was surprised by that.

"Phoenix Tears? As in, like the kind some stories say have healing and anti-venom powers inside them?" She questioned.

"That's right, and like the fire bird in question, his family's signature ability is regeneration. As long as he has the stamina for it, Riser can regenerate both damage to his body and any loss of limbs. The only way to overcome it is holy energy, mental attacks, or to drain his stamina so he can't heal anymore." Rias confirmed, answering the expected follow up question.

That caused Ishie to sweat.

"Guess he wasn't exaggerating when he said it was a battle against Dragon and Phoenix..." She realized.

"And it isn't just him. Remember that one girl in his peerage, the blonde with a pink dress? That's his little sister, Ravel Phenex." Rias added.

"So, we're facing two?" Ishie questioned.

"Not exactly. Ravel's his tactician, so she doesn't directly fight like he does, but that also means trying to take her out of the game to hinder him is too big a hurdle for most people, which is fitting since Riser's only loses in his 8 to 2 win-to-lose ratio are ones he lost on purpose." She answered.

Ishie gulped at that.

"What about the rest of his peerage?" She inquired.

"His team is incredibly balanced. The Phenex Clan also has affinities for fire and wind, which many of his pieces can wield. Along with that, he has a Rook that's strong enough that she's a second Queen in his peerage, and two of his Pawns are Nekomata. Taking that into account... he's covered his weak spots pretty well." Rias revealed.

"Aw man, so our chances are as bad as I thought, but not just due to our numbers." Ishie realized.

"Which is why it will be all the more satisfying to hit him with a clean sweep." Rias smirked.

Ishie's eyes widened at that.

"You... you really think we can defeat him without anyone on our side being defeated?" Ishie asked.

"Despite having no Rating Game experience, I'm one of few young Devils to be part of a group known as the Rookies Four. It's that reason my brother and I are sure that we'll be able to tell the higher ups allowing this marriage where to stick it." Rias stated.

Ishie was amazed by her confidence.

"And plus, in some way... this is my chance to prove I've changed after what happened 5 years ago." She said, her mouth shifting from a smirk to a frown.

Hearing that, Ishie's mind screeched to a halt.

"Wait, 5 years ago? Isn't that how long Grayfia said he's been your..." She asked.

She gasped, realizing the two events were related. Rias froze as she realized this.

"Crap." She sighed.

"Sorry, I can pretend I didn't hear it if-" Ishie offered.

"No, if anything... I think it's time you know." Rias decided.

Rias stood on her feet, walking a bit as Ishie watched her, wondering what she was about to tell her aside from the implications it wasn't good.

"You see, the current generation of the Phoenix Family... there used to be three sons and a daughter, but 5 years ago? Their middle son was killed in an accident. And no, it wasn't a it wasn't really an accident scenario." She revealed.

Turning her head, she looked at Ishie sadly.

"Because... it was my fault he died." Rias confessed.

Ishie gasped at that.

* * *

_Rias held out her hands, generating her Power of Destruction against a large area as it turned a large number of rocks into less rubble than they were made with. Watching from a distance, Sirzechs stood with a man who somewhat resembled Riser if he had stubble and sideburns._

_"Rias, I get you're excited, but take it easy." Sirzechs advised._

_"Stop babying me, I'm a teenager!" Rias shouted angrily._

_He sighed at his little sister's apparent rebellious phase, making him shake his head._

_"No luck, huh?" Riser's brother asked._

_"Not at all Rex, and I'm getting worried. She takes the power and potential we both have for granted. I'm aware of the danger, but my own reputation... it's made her think there's no consequences." Sirzechs confirmed, closing his eyes._

_"Well, it can't be that bad, I mean... it isn't like she'll learn to use your Aura of Destruction if you won't teach it to her." Rex joked._

_Rias then began gathering her aura around her, immediately catching the attention of the two._

_"Wait, what's she doing?" Rex asked._

_"That stance... Rias, stop!" Sirzechs warned._

_However, it was too late... and Rias suddenly saw her power begin to rampage out of control, making her look around in confusion. She tried to stop it, but she couldn't get it to stop overflowing any better than someone putting their hand over a leaking pipe with a large hole in it._

_"Don't worry, I've got her!" Rex shouted._

_He flew towards her, moving too fast to hear Sirzechs tell him to retreat, and at that moment... a rogue steam of her power shot at him before all he could feel was nothing._

_Rex Phenex... was no more._

* * *

Ishie felt her eyes shaking as she heard that story end, though out of sadness rather than horror.

"That's right, the Rias Gremory you know now? She didn't exist back then. I was an arrogant, prideful little girl who took her brother's power, status, and achievements as things highlighting what I could do. Even more, back then I didn't share my family's ideas on servants being treated like family in the slightest. I didn't realize the dangers of how I was acting... until it was already too late." Rias revealed.

'Rias...' Ishie thought, struggling to hear her say those words.

Rias took a deep breath, then turned to look towards the moon.

"Due to my brother's position, among other factors, they kept the incident quiet. Riser doesn't even know I was why his one brother died. However, some higher ups used the whole incident to create this engagement for the sole reason of wanting to see a Devil with the powers of Bael and Phenex... and my great grandfather was unable to refuse." She sighed.

She turned to Ishie, a serious look on her face.

"I knew that this couldn't continue. So, I resolved to change myself and truly respect how the Gremory family treats is servants like family, and before I knew it? My fateful encounter with Akeno happened." Rias revealed.

"Rias, don't blame yourself. I mean... look at me. For so long, I couldn't accept reality because-" Ishie replied.

She quickly caught herself, turning her head away.

"Sorry, I... I can't tell you, not yet." She apologized.

"No, it's alright. The only reason I was even able to is because the others already know my story, just like I know theirs, but it took a long time before they were ready to talk and tell me what had happened to them." Rias reassured her.

Rias walked down and pet Ishie on the head, making her look up at Rias.

"Try to get some rest now. Also, if you're interested in the stories of Kiba, Koneko, and Akeno? You'll have to ask them, because it isn't my right to tell you those tales." She smiled.

"OK, and I'll do that." Ishie agreed, promising her.

She began heading back inside, and just before she was about to open the door.

"Do you genuinely like Kiba, or are you just following the same motions almost every other girl at our school does?" Rias inquired, briefly glancing in her direction.

Ishie froze at that, looking at her.

"I _have_ noticed everything, and regardless if he's oblivious to it or just faking so when Koneko asks... right now, you won't make progress with any boy you meet. Love at first sight isn't a real thing, otherwise the fairy tales you love would have strangers meet and confess their love with no issues and maybe even no story to tell." She continued.

"U-Uh..." Ishie stuttered.

"Love takes time, and it takes work, something Riser never tried to do with me. By now, I won't give him a chance, even if he did suddenly change. You might fall in love with someone the first time you see them, but... it's up to you for it to be reciprocated, even if the same happens with them. Just some advice from your senior." Rias finished.

If she was the one who'd make Kiba happy, she didn't mind it. However, Ishie had to actually prove that, or he wouldn't be.

"Uh... I'm... going to bed now!" Ishie shouted.

She ran inside, with Rias shaking her head lightly.

* * *

The following morning, the sight of Ishie moving around was seen as she had her Divine Dividing on her back, but not flying as she tried to dodge the shinai of Murayama, Katase, and Kiba, with the latter being the challenge since he had his Knight speed to aid him.

Jumping into the air, Kiba sped forward for a strike, and Ishie guarded herself, somehow causing her wings to fold in and act like a shield against the strike.

"What the?" Ishie asked, seeing it.

Kiba soon felt himself pushed back.

"How about we take five while I try to see how that just happened?" She suggested, looking at her Sacred Gear.

"Good idea. Katase, Murayama, how about you go grab us some drinks?" Kiba agreed, looking at the kendo duo.

They both panted, simply giving a physical cue to say yes.

As both of them began heading back to the villa, Ishie realized they were alone, and then... remembered what Rias said about asking the others about their sad stories.

"Hey, Kiba?" She stated.

"Yeah?" He replied.

"Back when we were rescuing Asia, you said something after Rias asked you an odd question, and... then you seemed to react angrily once you saw Freed wielding Excalibur. Is there a reason behind that?" Ishie inquired, sweating as she dropped the bomb.

Kiba briefly flinched at that, then lowered her head slightly.

"Rias told you about Riser's brother, didn't she?" He realized.

"Yeah, and... she said if I wanted to know about what happened to you and the others, I should ask. Though, if it's asking too much..." Ishie confirmed.

"No, after seeing Freed with Excalibur, I had a feeling my past wasn't going to stay buried much longer, even if you didn't ask me." Kiba replied.

He took a deep breath.

"Long ago, I was an orphan living in a church sponsored orphanage. Back then I didn't even have a name. One day, I was asked along with many of my comrades to be part of a project to try and artificially make those who could wield any of Excalibur's seven fragments. It was called the Holy Sword Project." He began.

"Wait, fragments? As in... more than one Excalibur?" Ishie asked.

"That's right. Excalibur was the form Caliburn took once it was fully awakened by Arthur, but the Great War caused it to be damaged, and its extra powers scattered into cores that haven't been recombined since one disappeared before they were all found. Not the point though." Kiba answered.

He closed his eyes.

"However, the project was a lie, unapproved by the church. We were just kids... being experimented on like lab rats. We had no freedom, or seen as humans. We held on, just because we wanted to believe God would choose us to succeed... though when it failed? God wasn't there to save us from what came next." Kiba continued.

And for the first time since she knew him, Ishie saw Kiba look truly sad.

* * *

_Masked men came into the building, and began spraying poison gas. Kiba and his friends began to choke, many vomiting blood as they began to drop like flies._

_Seeing he was closest to the door, those still alive grabbed the legs of the masked men, which Kiba noticed as he looked towards them with a scared expression._

_"Run away!" A boy screamed._

_"Hurry, save yourself!" A girl begged._

_Kiba teared up, and then... he obeyed, running out of the church into the cold wasteland. However, he quickly fell as the gas began to affect him, making him barf out some blood._

_"Hurry, we have to catch him!" Someone shouted._

_Turning around, he shook slightly._

_'No, I can't die here... I have to make things right! I have to avenge... my comrades!' He thought._

_As the men got near, a familiar black/red energy fired out, smashing into the men as Kiba gasped._

_"What was... that?" He asked._

_"Hey, are you OK?" Rias asked._

_Turning his head, he saw the form of a 14-year old Rias staring before him, wearing a Russian winter coat as her hair swayed in the wind._

* * *

Ishie felt herself shaking at what he heard.

"I owe Rias my life for finding me that day, but the truth is... I was only able to run away due to my friends. They're the ones who really saved me. Not long after, I learned who was responsible for the project and how they failed to capture him afterwards. That's why, until I end his life... my friends' souls will never find peace, because my sword contains their pain." He finished.

Hearing that, Kiba suddenly felt Ishie hold his hand, making him see her tears fall onto it.

"Ishie?" He said worriedly.

"Wherever that horrible man is, the day you finally find him... I'll help you end it!" She promised, looking at him with a determined look despite her tears.

He was shocked by that.

"Because... I'd be sad if you died and left me, as would the rest of our friends." Ishie sniffled, closing her eyes.

He sighed, smiling as he turned his head away.

"I guess... this was never meant to be something I'd be able to do on my own." Kiba realized.

"Huh?" Ishie asked, opening her eyes to look at him.

"I'll accept your offer to help, so thank you." He smiled.

Seeing that, Ishie suddenly felt herself blush as a sudden warmness filled her heart, one she didn't recognize or recall feeling her entire life.

"Uh, t-thanks... I'm gonna go help Katase and Murayama get those drinks!" She replied.

Running off, Kiba blinked in confusion, while Ishie put a hand on her chest as she ran behind the nearest tree.

'This feeling... where did it come from?' She thought.

She gasped as she recalled what Rias said last night.

'Could... could this be what she meant? Am I actually feeling something for Kiba, and have all the things I done before... just random flirting like a fan girl?' Ishie thought.

A pebble soon landed near her, getting her attention.

She turned her head, seeing Akeno motion to herself.

"Akeno?" Ishie said in surprise.

"Don't ask questions, just follow me." Akeno whispered, motioning towards some trees.

Needing a distraction, Ishie did exactly that.

* * *

Finding themselves in part of the trees near the villa's lake, Akeno and Ishie sat down on a rock as a brief and uncomfortable silence followed.

"Uh... so, you called me here for... what exactly?" Ishie asked.

"You've already heard Kiba and Rias' stories, I can tell." She replied.

Ishie's eyes widened.

"No way, that easily? I haven't even-" She remarked.

Akeno held out her hand to make Ishie stop.

"You don't need to, after all... my story and Rias' are somewhat connected. She only began to change for the better after she met me. Likewise, if I hadn't met her, I'm not sure if I'd be who I am today." Akeno stated.

Ishie just looked at her, nodding as she began to listen.

"My father is the Fallen Angel known as Baraqiel, and he's leagues above the ones we fought when rescuing Asia. He's a Fallen Angel with a total of _ten_ wings." Akeno began.

"By leagues above, how strong is that?" Ishie inquired.

"To put it simply? Had any of the Fallen Angels we fought had eight wings, Rias would have asked us to retreat, because not even she or I would have been strong enough to win... at least, not without all of us fighting it together." She answered, briefly closing her eyes.

Ishie paled, remembering Raynare had only six wings.

"One day, on a mission, he was injured and landed by a Shinto shrine, where a priestess found him. That woman was my mother, Shuri Himejima. Taking pity on him, she nursed him back to health, and before long... I was born. However, doing so caused my mother's family to disown her, and we began a quiet life together. Naturally, those days wouldn't lost long." Akeno continued.

"What happened?" Ishie asked.

"I did, or rather... I was too innocent to heed an important warning by my father. My wings soon grew in, and... well, why child expects her neighbors to murder her? One day, while I had playing outside? I let them out and scared everyone. That night, while my father had been gone on work, they came at us like a witch hunt. My mother called my father to warn him, and he dropped everything to hurry back, but not fast enough to save my mother." Akeno revealed.

Ishie gasped.

"Did she... die while trying to keep you alive?" She realized.

Akeno nodded.

* * *

_Within a room of her home, Shuri held Akeno close as someone with a samurai sword approached them._

_"No, you can't do this! She's just a little girl! Please, her father and I love her more than life itself!" Shuri begged._

_However, the man refused to listen and raised his sword._

_"Akeno!" Shuri shouted._

_"Mama, no!" She cried._

_Blood splattered as her mother fell to the ground, leaving Akeno to stare as her blood splattered on her. Raising his sword again... a yellow spear stabbed through him. The man shook before he fell, revealing a dark-skinned man with closed eyes._

_Baraqiel soon reached to her daughter._

_"Akeno, it's OK. I'm-" He reassured her._

_"Don't touch me!" She screamed venomously._

_He froze at that._

_"Why weren't you here to protect me and mama! If you had, she'd still be alive right now! This is all because you made me a Fallen Angel, isn't it? This isn't fair!" Akeno cried._

_Baraqiel could do nothing but stare at his daughter._

_"I hate stupid black wings! I hate **you**!" She screamed._

_Hearing those words, Baraqiel could only lower his head, knowing his own failure to stop this had left his daughter a shell of her former self._

* * *

Ishie gasped at that.

"Even I knew he didn't deserve what I said to him, but... if I hadn't said that? I'm not sure if my sanity would have survived. My innocence was shattered far too early, and I chose him as my target of blame." Akeno continued, lowering her head.

"Because he couldn't arrive fast enough..." Ishie realized.

She could have said something else, but if she had? Akeno would piece something she wasn't ready to share.

"I know that I should forgive him, but I just can't. Something's holding me back, and until I can understand what it is? There's no way I can find the strength to say it. Even if I could, right now..." Akeno stated.

"Because you're not on the same side." Ishie stated.

Akeno nodded.

"So, how did you meet Rias?" She inquired.

"Luck, ironically. I was on my own for years, and then I finally hit my limits, right as Rias had come to the forest I expected to be my grave. We each shared our stories, and we quickly became best friends because of them. I'd live with her family for a whole year before she got her Evil Pieces, and she made me her Queen." Akeno answered.

"Sounds a lot like Irina and me, albeit we bonded through our shared interest in a TV show a genre." Ishie smiled, giggling a little.

Now that he had heard her story? There was one more tale that she needed to, no... that she _had_ to hear.

"Akeno, where is Koneko right now?" Ishie asked.

She was about to answer, though then a loud boom was heard as a dust cloud formed near the mountain tops.

"There." Akeno answered.

Ishie nodded and began flying in that direction, unaware of the surprise waiting for her.

* * *

Landing on the ground, a huge burst of Senjutsu fired into the air, causing Ishie to find Koneko. However, once she did? She wasn't the small white cat that she had come to know her as.

Her figure was more on par with that of Rias, Akeno, and her own, though a tad smaller (maybe 95 cm by her best guess), and her hair was tied in pigtails with ribbons she managed to positioned to be where her cat ears would pop out if she were to do so right now.

"Glad to see this form hasn't gotten weaker with how rarely I use it." She remarked, unaware of Ishie being behind her.

"K-Koneko!?" Ishie shouted in surprise.

She paled as she immediately changed back into the form she was best known for, slowly turning around to see Ishie, and now clearly aware she had seen her secret.

"How long have you been there?" Koneko inquired.

Ishie chuckled slightly.

"About a minute, heard the boom and followed the smoke here." She answered.

"Ugh... as the saying goes, the cat's out of the bag." Koneko groaned.

That made Ishie pause.

"Wait, so that form I just saw you in was..." She realized.

"You heard my remark to Murayama, what do you think it was?" Koneko asked sarcastically.

"Good point." Ishie replied.

However, that left her confused.

"Though, why are you basically shrinking yourself into that younger body?" She inquired.

Koneko didn't say anything.

"Oh, it's part of your past, isn't it?" Ishie realized.

"Are you gonna ask about it?" Koneko inquired.

"Well, I've kind of asked everyone else today, sans Akeno telling me of her own free choice, after Rias accidentally gave away hers last night..." Ishie admitted, scratching her head slightly.

And with that, Koneko let out a small sigh.

"I honestly don't want to talk about it, but now that you've actually seen what I really look like? Hiding it would be too big a pain in the ass for me." She stated.

"So, that's a yes?" Ishie asked.

She shrugged, sitting down on the trunk of a nearby tree she had knocked down.

"Take a seat." Koneko stated, a sad look on her face.

Ishie sat down, and waited for her to begin.

"Long ago, there were two Nekoshou sisters, their mother was in love with a Human man that saw her as nothing but a mere lust object, and she didn't care that's all he saw her as. Eventually, their parents died in an accident. This left them orphaned and homeless, but still had each other to depend on, despite they were the last two Nekoshou in the world." Koneko began.

"Whoa... that bad, huh?" Ishie remarked, looking at her.

Koneko confirmed with a nod.

"One day, a Devil picked both of them up, and the elder sister joined his peerage. She took up both of his Bishops, and it seemed we had a chance at a better life. However, fate had other plans... as her power apparently got so strong that one day? She... killed her master." She continued.

Ishie's eyes widened.

"She became so dangerous an entire pursuit force was sent after her, and they were fully decimated, ranking her as an SS-Class Stray in the process. Fearing her sister would become just like her, the Devils tried to have her killed... only for Sirzechs to intervene and gain dominance over her. After that, the younger sister stopped responding to her name, and was given to Rias as her third servant. That younger sister, once known as Shirone... was me." Koneko finished.

"I'm... so sorry." Ishie replied.

It took a moment, but she then realized something that didn't fit in.

"Hold on, how does this explain your current look?" She asked.

"This is how I looked before I became a teenager, since Nekomata go through puberty differently. Rather than gradually, we instantly develop mature bodies on our thirteenth birthdays, and when it happened to me... I used my powers to shift my appearance. It takes a lot of effort, but I hold it... to remind myself of what happened." She answered.

"Remind yourself?" Ishie repeated.

"I saw my own sister kill her master, and I don't even know why! She's kept her appearance despite being such a dangerous stray, and I want to believe she isn't really one, and yet... nothing says otherwise! Even if Rias convinced me to, I'm so afraid to use my full power... afraid to end up like her!" Koneko admitted as she cried.

Ishie immediately hugged her, realizing she was both afraid of what she could be... and just wanted her sister back.

"Have you... encountered her since then?" Ishie asked.

"Once, with Rias by my side." She confirmed, sniffling.

* * *

_In part of Hell, near the Gremory territory, a 15-year old Rias and a 13-year old Koneko, in her younger form, stood across from the latter's older sister._

_She was a beautiful young woman with a voluptuous figure, the rest of her appearance was opposite to her aside from her eyes. She had long black hair with split bangs, and where Koneko was cute, she was sexy. Her attire consisted of a black kimono, a yellow obi, a set of golden beads, and an ornately detailed headband._

_The kimono features a red interior and it is open at her shoulders, giving view to her large breasts which were between Rias and Ishie's in size._

_"I only sent a fraction of my Chi out, and you still came running. Glad to see you can still feel our sisterly bond." She smirked._

_"Kuroka, you better leave now!" Rias warned._

_"Shirone and I are sisters first and foremost, I'm not going to just give you to her because you ordain it." Kuroka warned, flaring out her aura._

_Rias sweated in response._

_Her brother had told her she was dangerous enough that society ranked her as an Ultimate-Class Devil, meaning she wouldn't be able to protect Koneko if she were to start a fight._

_"Now, come here babe. Your big sister's waiting." Kuroka said, motioning Koneko towards her._

_She didn't talk, or rather... she couldn't seem to make herself speak even if she wanted to._

_This caught Kuroka's attention._

_"Do you even know how much you've hurt your own sister!? When you ran after killing your master, this poor girl saw Hell, and I don't mean the land we're on now! The other Devils wanted her dead, and she was alone to face it all, enough that before she knew it... she stopped responding to her own name! I haven't heard her speak once since I made her my Rook." Rias stated, glaring at her._

_Kuroka said nothing, just giving a small frown at Rias while she stared at her._

_"The one person she could trust in this world, you, abandoned her. You no longer have the right to ask anything of her!" She shouted._

_"And you claim to speak for my sister? Please! If she can't talk, then-" Kuroka retorted._

_"I won't... go." Koneko said quietly._

_Kuroka froze as she heard that._

_"I won't go with you... my name is Koneko Toujou, and I choose to live with my master! Just... leave!" She screamed, crying as she did._

_Her older sister just stared before vanishing in a magic circle, leaving Koneko to cry as Rias hugged her close, knowing it hurt her to say that._

* * *

Ishie went silent after hearing that.

'They really do share a bond over their pasts... I can't imagine what Rias had to do just to help them get as far as they are now, yet unlike them? They can possible heal from everything one day.' She thought.

Tears began to leak from her eyes, none of which Koneko saw.

'I don't have that luxury, and never will.' Ishie cried.

Once Koneko finally calmed down, she saw Ishie had disappeared, leaving her confused over how she vanished outside of her notice.

* * *

Rias walked inside as she looked over some plans, and then saw Ishie sitting by herself.

"Ishie?" She said in surprise.

"Oh, hey..." Ishie replied quietly.

Rias didn't need very long to realize what was wrong, sighing as she sat down by her side.

"You heard all of their stories, didn't you?" Rias asked.

Ishie nodded.

"Kiba saw his friends die over Excalibur, while Akeno's mother died protecting her over an assassination from her neighbors at the time, and Koneko... her own sister's a Stray that she deeply misses. All of your stories were saddening, and I never expected you could have gone through such tragedy." She admitted.

"And you don't even know my Pawn's story just yet." Rias added.

That got Ishie's attention.

"You heard Riser mention I had another servant, one that's sealed in part of the old school building because I was too weak to help him control his powers, and by extension help us in the Rating Game. I can't say much yet... though his story's very similar to Asia's." She explained, deciding that was the most Ishie should know for now.

Ishie tightened her grip.

"Each of their stories? While I can't say why, there's a part from each of their tales... that I can relate to." She admitted.

"What?" Rias said in surprise.

"Come on, think about it. Don't you think it would have been hard for me to accept reality isn't like my fantasies... if I didn't start having them to deny it in the first place?" Ishie mentioned.

After hearing her say that, Rias realized it made sense.

Though she wondered what had pushed Ishie that far?

"Ishie, listen... we all have struggles that are unique to us, and sometimes? We honestly have to face them, or at least part of them, on our own. It's why I've tried to give them all the best in life, just like I'm sure you did by letting your family adopt Asia." Rias stated.

She lifted her head, looking at Rias as she heard those words.

"Whatever your story is, and despite you're not ready to share it with us... you're not alone anymore. Not only that, but it's possible for reincarnated Devils to earn their own peerages, where you could do the same that I've done for everyone here. Be their pillar like I have. It's harder to rank like this, but... it's possible." She continued, smiling as she did.

"Eh... I don't think that would interest me, no offense." Ishie admitted.

"Then why don't you strive to be something more? Like, maybe... the Hero of all Devils? That's one fantasy that you can definitely make into a reality." Rias suggested.

Ishie let out a small gasp as she heard that.

"You've been through a lot today, so if you need to relax for now? I'll allow it. Just know, I say what I did... because I believe in you. When we face Riser, you'll be our game's lynch pin, and I have faith you'll be the won to defeat Riser." She admitted.

"Rias..." Ishie breathed.

"We believe in you, so don't give up on yourself... because we won't." Rias said, smiling before she walked off.

As she sat there, Ishie gripped her fist before looking up.

"Like it or not, you can't change your past... just move forward and become stronger." Ishie told herself.

Getting on her feet, she ran outside, and for the next ten days? Ishie would train harder than anyone else.

* * *

The night of the Rating Game arrived, and Ishie walked into the building alongside Asia, Katase, and Murayama as they saw the rest of the Gremory Team making their last-minute preparations.

Kiba forged a new sword as he sheathed it, Koneko was in her young form as she placed some gloves on her hand, Akeno was drinking some tea, while Rias crossed her arms as she kept her eyes closed in an almost meditative way.

"Wow, do none of you feel any pressure?" Katase asked in surprise, looking at them in shock.

"We'd be lying if we said we weren't nervous at some level, but it's better to focus on the result we want than let what could happen become a hindrance to us. Better to fake confidence than show a lack of it." Rias answered.

Ishie giggled at that.

"Odd logic, but I guess it's working for you." She remarked.

Everyone heard the door open as they saw Sona and the rest of the Student Council enter the room.

"Hope we're not interrupting." Sona asked.

"Not at all." Rias smiled.

"Did all of you come to watch the game?" Asia asked.

"We did, and we even have a special VIP area we can bring the three of you to, that way you'll be able to watch as well." Saji confirmed.

"Alright!" Katase cheered.

At that moment, a silver magic circle formed, making everyone see Grayfia appear, shocking Katase and Murayama.

"Whoa, is that-" Murayama asked.

"Yeah, that's Grayfia." Ishie nodded.

Grayfia soon looked towards Rias.

"It's almost time, are you ready?" She inquired.

"Yes." Rias nodded.

"Then in a few moments, this magic circle will transport you all the battlefield." Grayfia replied.

Ishie finally realized something.

"Wait, where are we fighting?" She asked.

"In a neutral alternate space made just for the game. It's not real, so no need to hold back because you don't want to destroy the environment." Akeno explained.

Ishie went silent at that, letting out a nervous chuckle.

"Oh, and we have a small surprise. It seems that Roygun Belphegor has chosen to be part of the game's audience." Grayfia mentioned.

Rias gasped in response.

"The current Rating Game Champion is watching?" She said.

"The champion? Oh great, now there's pressure!" Ishie remarked.

Standing up, Rias and her peerage walked to the circle as their friends stood by Sona's peerage, with Ishie closing her eyes to calm her nerves.

'OK, here we go.' She thought.

With that thought, Ishie felt herself transported to the location of the Rating Game arena.

* * *

**Most of this chapter was pretty sad, wasn't it? I guess the first thing to bring up is why I had Ishie learn their stories now of all times, rather during the arcs where they all become important, and that's because they're already know their stories. While Rias' is specific to the story, it was made as an extension to this arc, so it's Ishie's own past that matters... especially since she said each of their stories has something in common with hers.**

**Anyways, I hope you like how I developed the history of Devils in this story. Since the usual Lucifer was once an Angel idea is one I've gone with before, I changed it up so his only link to Heaven was God made him, and not in the same sense, and having Satan be the precursor to the 72 Pillars was a good way to link the two beings' names together.**

**Just as a reminder, Ishie is the only genderbent character in the story, so the Rizevia mentioned in this chapter? She isn't Rizevim as a woman, but his older twin sister, so you might just see Vali appear with a cousin at some point. Ingvild will also be making her appearance alongside a few OCs, who will be the other Satan descendants that Rias mentioned, so that will become important later on.**

**Finally, for Koneko? What she's doing is based on her Shirone Form, but in reverse, in a situation not unlike King's fat form from Seven Deadly Sins. Most of the female Youkai besides her are busty, and Kunou's implied to be 12 when she debuts, which gives her an excuse. As such, her younger form is what she used to look like, and in sense represents her longing for the days she had her sister.**

**Until next time everyone, and stay awesome! ^^**


	6. Game of Gremory, Part 2

**And here we are with part two, where the Rating Game officially begins! Wish the Gremory Team luck, because they'll have a harder time not just because of having one member less due to Asia not being a Devil, but Ishie doesn't have the Boosted Gear to do that one team attack with Kiba near the end. That means they can't just magically (no pun intended) defeat half of his peerage in a single shot.**

**Despite that little detail, Rias swore that she wants to win by a clean sweep without losing anyone on her side. The question is will that happen? Can all of the strategies she asked Sona to help her prepare her for really let them all make it to the end? Who knows, but after making such a declaration, Ishie and the others will likely be going all out in this match.**

**This Rating Game will have some new flair to it, for the same reason Ishie already knows her friends' pasts. For one, while the game itself might be fairly similar, they won't be fighting on Kuoh Academy since I've seen that in too many stories already. Also, this Rating Game shows a feature that I think could work as a special match type in canon... though Ishibumi may never think of something like it due to where canon is right now.**

**Now, before we actually get to the chapter? Many asked me about why Roygun was the Champion instead of Diehauser, so if anyone else was curious? This is how the Belphegor Clan earned their spot in the Seven Satans system, as did the Mammon Clan through Rudiger who's ranked 2nd. The Diehauser of this story is ranked 3rd, that way if I have these two retire, he'll still end up as Champion.**

**Anyways, let the chapter begin!**

* * *

**[Chapter 6 - Game of Gremory, Part 2]**

Opening her eyes, Ishie found herself in... the old school building?

"Uh, guys? Am I missing something? It seems like we're still in the club... wait, is that alternate space you were talking about on a different dimensional axis or something?" She asked, blinking in confusion.

"Not exactly, just open up the nearest window and you'll see." Rias replied, smiling as she did.

Ishie walked over to a window and did just that, making her eyes go white as she saw the field.

Despite the old school building, or what she now realized was just an exact replica of it, being what they were currently inside? The battlefield was actually a series of floating islands with a green sky filled with lines of light green energy above them!

"HOLY SHIT!"

Laughing slightly as Ishie immediately fell on her butt, Akeno kneeled by her side.

"Rias made a request for our base to resemble our club room. Even if we wanted this to be a replica of Kuoh Academy, that would just put too much of an advantage to Riser." She explained.

"Huh?" Ishie blinked, tilting her head in confusion.

"The fact we have a battlefield of floating islands is to make things as fair as possible. See, if you fall too far to the bottom of this battlefield, you'll automatically be retired from the game. That means even Riser's immortality wouldn't save him. While it'll be hard to knock him off the field, we now have a second option to win by." Rias clarified.

Hearing that, Ishie sighed in relief.

"Glad to hear that, even if it's to avoid pissing off anyone who wants to see a fair Dragon vs Phoenix bout." She remarked.

Suddenly, a loud whistling sound went off.

_"Your attention please."_ Grayfia announced, her voice echoing across the field.

Ishie nearly jumped in response, but soon listened in.

_"My name is Grayfia, and I'm a servant under the Gremory Family. I'll be the arbiter for today's match. Today's battlefield was made to make this Rating Game as fair as possible under the circumstances, since Lady Rias has no direct experience and Lord Riser's abilities."_ Grayfia continued.

'Whoa, so she's the ref!?' Ishie thought in surprise.

Looking outside again, Rias noticed a building in the distance, quickly realizing it must have been Riser's base. The cocky Devil and his peerage were all waiting inside, all of them having smug or confident looks on their faces due to thinking they had already won.

* * *

Within a VIP area that Sona and her peerage, Asia, Murayama, and Katase were watching the game from, they saw images of each side waiting in their respective bases.

_"Besides instantly retiring if a player falls too far into the pit, the rules of a normal Rating Game apply. Pawns that make it to the enemy base will be able to promote, and the game will end when one side either surrenders or their King is defeated."_ She continued.

"That's one unfair advantage that prick has, and what's worse is it's perfectly fair because of how he and Rias chose to use their Evil Pieces." Katase remarked.

Asia shivered a bit, hating that Ishie would have to fight, despite knowing it was her only option to help Rias.

_"For those who are just joining us and don't know every detail behind this game, the main highlight of this match is the new Bishop of Lady Rias, who has been confirmed to be the current White Dragon of this generation."_ Grayfia revealed.

At that moment, the screens focused on Ishie, confirming that those on the battlefield were unable to see anything that caught them on camera.

"Well, at least they can't see the camera to be embarrassed by it." Murayama chuckled.

_"Finally, as a special treat? Upon getting word of this match... Roygun Belphegor, the current Rating Game Champion, has chosen to join our audience. I hope both teams who are aware of this fact give it their all as a result."_ Grayfia continued.

At that moment, the screens revealed the Devil who ranked highest among those who played the Rating Game.

She was a beautiful young woman with an appearance in her twenties, with long and wavy pink hair, along with two horns protruding from her head as was possible physical trait exclusive to members of her clan.

Roygun was currently in her casual attire, which consisted if a high-cut dress with high slits that helped show off her well-endowed bust and slim waist.

_"Hi everyone."_ She smiled, waving to the audience.

_"There will be a 30-minute grace period for both sides to plan out their strategies while we wait for the announce to arrive. Until both sides hear the signal, stay in your bases and use this time to set up your plans of attack."_ Grayfia announced.

And with that, the Rating Game began.

* * *

With the grace period's start, Ishie turned her head towards Rias.

"Uh... hope this doesn't sound stupid since I'm still the new girl of the group, but how do we plan that when we don't know what the entire field looks like?" She asked.

"Not a worry." Rias replied.

Right at that moment, a map showing the field's layout appeared on her desk.

"OK, that's nifty." Ishie admitted.

"Wait until you try this." Rias replied, holding out a red orb.

"What is it?" She asked, taking it.

Rias pointed to her ear, making Ishie's eyes widen.

"No way, a magical headset? Cool!" She exclaimed.

Putting it in her ear, she tapped her knuckles against it until finally, she heard Rias speaking through it.

"Can you hear me?" She asked.

"Loud and clear." Ishie confirmed.

With that matter taken care of, she unrolled the map as her peerage gathered around the desk. The layout showed there were three paths of floating islands connecting to the ones that held each side's bases.

Among the three, the middle and left paths had a small gap that almost made them one in the same.

"As you can see here, we have three paths that are equally obvious, though the middle path is fairly obvious. Not only that, but I'm certain that big chunk in the middle... is a Promotion Square." Rias stated.

"Does that something to do with a Pawn's Promoting ability?" Ishie asked.

"That's right. Pawns can only promote after reaching an enemy base, but certain areas can have a quality that temporarily makes them act as if they've already promoted into a Rook, Bishop, or Knight depending on the Promotion Square they're on." Akeno confirmed.

"Meaning it's useless to us, but a huge benefit to Riser and his eight Pawns." Ishie realized.

Rias nodded her head, soon moving three white Pawns that represented Riser's peerage onto that possible Promotion Grounds, and then another group of three on the right path.

"Luckily, based on what Sona's told me? I've got a good idea how he'll move his pieces. He'll be willing to sacrifice a few Pawns in that area in an attempt to try drawing us in, and then send another set towards our base to try forcing us out. The best advantage is only two members of Riser's peerage are able to fly." She replied confidently.

"That's his sister and his Queen, right?" Koneko assumed.

"Yes, and speaking of his Queen?" Rias confirmed.

She placed it sideways by the Pawns on the middle path.

"More than likely, he'll have her sneak up on whoever I send to take out the middle group of Pawns in the event they gain the upper hand or actually defeat them. That leaves his remaining pieces, which I believe is where our main issue lies..." She continued, furrowing her eyes slightly.

She placed all the remaining white pieces around the area close to his base.

"He'll grouping them all into a defensive wall." Kiba realized.

"That won't leave us with many options." Akeno remarked.

"And the center of the battlefield will decide who gets a leg up." Kiba mentioned.

"How are we going to counter him then?" Ishie asked.

Rias began picking up red pieces representing their team, and began by placing her Rook where the center group of Pawns were.

"Koneko, you'll go to the center and lock it down, and then..." She replied.

She whispered into her ear, making Koneko's eyes widen before nodding.

"Got it." Koneko agreed.

"Now, for the group to the right?" Rias continued.

She placed her Knight by them, and Kiba nodded.

"Right." He replied.

Following this, Rias placed her Queen and Bishop sideways on the left path area and near Riser's Queen respectively.

"Akeno, you'll lie in waiting while Ishie... you'll be fighting Riser's Queen." Rias stated.

"So, it's me then..." Ishie realized.

She thought back to earlier this morning, right before they left the villa to return home.

* * *

_Rias stood before her peerage, with the rest of their friends watching from the side._

_"Tonight's the big game, and since we can't train anymore without reducing our chances... it's time we discuss how all the members of Riser's peerage rank in comparison to us." She announced._

_Bringing up a magic circle, a magic screen showing all fifteen of his pieces was shown._

_"Most of Riser's team is made of reincarnated Devils who rank at Mid-Class, and when excluding Riser, his peerage consists of four High-Class Devils." Rias revealed._

_"One of those being his sister, right?" Ishie inquired._

_Rias nodded her head, focusing on their images._

_"The other three being his Queen and both of his Rooks. Not only that, but his one Rook is so powerful... she's basically a second queen. While she may be weaker than his actual Queen, she's still a major threat you need to watch out for." She continued._

_She soon dispelled her magic circle, making the images disappear as Rias focused on her own servants._

_"Essentially, where we're lacking is the power his additional servants grant him. The good news is this both in and against our favor." Rias added._

_Ishie was confused by those words._

_"Even if we're a smaller peerage, the advantage is that while Kiba and Koneko are on the lower scale of it, and Akeno's closer to my level... this whole peerage consists of High-Class Devils his team will have to fight." Rias revealed, smirking slightly._

_Ishie's eyes widened at that._

_"W-Wait, a High-Class? Me!?" She asked in disbelief, pointing at herself._

_"It's mainly because you have a Longinus, but yes. The effort you showed during this training camp proves it. I still want to win with a clean sweep, but if we do end up with anyone in our team being defeated... you **cannot** be one of them." Rias answered._

_She gasped at that._

* * *

Ishie tightened her fist before letting out a deep breath.

"Alright, I'll do my best to knock that Queen off the mighty throne Riser's given her!" She promised.

"If it weren't for the fact it's Riser's queen, that joke would have been awful." Koneko remarked.

Ishie face faulted at that comment.

"Now, for our next step? I want everyone to summon their Familiars." Rias ordered.

Everyone nodded in response.

Rassei appeared alongside the rest of the ORC's Familiars, with all six of Akeno's Imps gathered together, through their respective summoning circles.

"Other than Rassei, we'll have them set up traps and illusions around the base." Rias stated.

"Why is Rassei excluded?" Ishie asked, slightly confused.

"Two reasons. The first is that Zatouji said Rassei doesn't like other males, which all but Shiro and my familiar happen to be." She explained.

Ishie blushed at that, scratching her cheek.

"The second is Rassei is considered the kind of Familiar who can fight alongside you, so it's better you surprise Yubelluna with that." Rias continued.

'So, he can help me with a surprise attack. Question is how should I make him do that?' Ishie wondered.

Everyone else's familiars went outside, setting up their defenses. As that was happening, Ishie remembered about something, and quickly formed a magic circle in her hands.

"OK, now we-" stated.

"Wait, just a second!" Ishie interjected.

Her teammates looked at her.

"I had some trouble sleeping last night, so as a way for me to help everyone..." She continued.

A box appeared from the magic circle, opening it to reveal team uniforms.

"Thought I'd make us some new threads, just for the occasion." Ishie smiled, rubbing her cheek as she blushed slightly.

Everyone looked at them.

"Whoa, nice!" Kiba praised.

"Yeah, we're gonna look totally bad ass in these." Akeno agreed.

Rias looked at hers, then noticed something.

"These aren't just stylish either. It looks like you even incorporated a few things that would help benefit our fighting ability." She realized.

"Yeah, I was reading up on Evil Pieces and saw how Knights' legs are a common target, then looked over everything else." Ishie confirmed.

Koneko smiled at that.

"You may be a little bit out there, but you're sweet." She praised.

Ishie blushed again.

"We still have some time, so let's finish discussing a few more things as we put these on. Then we'll show Riser what we're made of." Rias declared, smirking as she did.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

* * *

Back from the VIP area, Sona could be seen focusing on the screen.

"The signal will be starting any minute. I wonder how Rias will apply my advice into her opening move?" Sona wondered.

"Do you think Rias can overcome Riser that easily? I mean, he..." Asia nervously asked.

Sona nodded her head.

"Riser may have more experience, but he has one major weakness. Since he's only lost with the intent to lose, he's going to be cocky, and that's where Rias can surprise him with her secret weapon... her unconventional form of battling." She answered.

Asia blinked after hearing that, wondering what Sona meant.

* * *

With only a few minutes left on the clock everyone went outside to get into position, waiting for the official start of the Rating Game to sound off. As they did, they heard the same whistling that was used before Grayfia made her announcement.

_"Hello everyone! It's your favorite Rating Game announcer, Naud Gamigin, here to bring you the play by play as we get closer to the end of this nail-biting grace period!"_ Naud announced.

From where she was, which was close to next to Akeno, the sound of Ishie letting out a slight giggle could be heard.

"I like this guy already." She remarked.

"Pay attention Ishie, this could be important." Akeno warned.

Ishie blushed and rubbed her head in slight embarrassment.

As the screens began showing everyone in their new outfits, Akeno's was the first that had pulled everyone's focus towards it. It was a unique shrine maiden outfit that was half white on her right side and half black on her left, with the lower half of her clothing being all red aside from the two midnight blue stockings, and tan sandals.

The design that Ishie had went for was to represent she was a Devil with power over holy lightning.

As for her own attire? She themed it after the colors of the Divine Dividing, being a white T-shirt with short sleeves and light blue markings, with diamond cuts on the sleeves. Attached to it was an opened vest of a normal blue color, with had some silver markings.

For her lower half, it was a normal black skirt with a pair of sapphire blue streamers flowing out from the sides, and a pair of blue and white boots.

_"We have the might of Rias Gremory of the Rookies Four and her new servant who possesses the White Dragon, fighting together against force of Riser and his sister to cause a fiery storm of two Phoenixes in this epic showdown! It's a clash of a veteran and an underdog!"_ Naud exclaimed.

As Rias listened, she moved her hand to contact her peerage.

Her outfit was something like of rich school uniform, even compared to Kuoh Academy, that had crimson and light pink as its main colors, white as its secondary color, and a few dashes of black to represent her nature as a Devil. Her skirt was even covered with a pattern that used the Gremory family crest, and out of everyone, she was the only one left wearing normal shoes.

"Get ready everyone, that means we're about to begin. Are all of you in position?" She inquired.

Kiba was seen by the right path, where a forest was seen acting as his cover. His outfit was a thick shirt-like jacket of a dark gray color with light, yet durable padding to act as armor for him. He also had dark green fingerless gloves with red wrist guards, long track pants of a dark blue color with the same padding, and thick light gray boots that acted like greaves.

"I'm in position now." He confirmed.

Koneko could be seen standing on the roof of their base, wearing a white kimono with some blue decor and a black sash wrapped around it with yellow cat paw designs on the left side, and flat black boots with cat paw designs on the side, based on what shoe it was. While it was matching her younger form at the moment, Ishie had made it so if she changed to her true appearance, it would change to match it.

"Ready and waiting." Koneko replied.

Soon, the scene switched back to Ishie and Akeno, who had moved close to the edge of their island.

"No turning back!" Ishie exclaimed.

"We've totally got it." Akeno smiled.

Rias smiled, leaving them all waiting for the clock to run out, which finally happened as they heard a loud buzzer sound. Once she heard it, Rias stood up as she made her announcement.

"Alright everyone, time for operation Extinguished Phoenix!" She declared.

Everyone silently nodded in response.

Kiba rushed into the forest before hiding himself in part of it, while Akeno and Ishie jumped off the island, flying before they got retired and zooming underneath the islands. Akeno began waiting at the left path, and Ishie began looking for Riser's Queen.

Koneko jumped off their base's roof before quickly rushing towards the center of the battlefield. It didn't take long for her to arrive, and once she did?

"So, this is the Gremory filth we're fighting?"

"They're here." She said, looking their way.

The ground lit up as a Rook symbol appeared, confirming the presence of a Promotion Square, allowing Koneko to fully see the three Pawns before her.

"So, who am I fighting?" Koneko inquired.

The Pawn in front was the first to reply, showing she was a young girl with blue hair styled with four small ponytails, two of them pointing up and down respectively, and light brown eyes. Her outfit consisted of a white haori and a red obi under her red happi coat, bandages on her forearms and shins, black guards over her hands, and a pair of zori.

"I'm Mira, a Phenex Pawn." She answered.

Peeking out from behind her was a pair of twins with turquoise hair, which they both tied to the sides of their head with a yellow ribbon on opposite sides, and blue eyes. Their attire consisted of gym uniforms comprised of white t-shirts with blue accents, black leggings, orange wristbands on their left wrists, and blue sneakers over knee-high socks.

"I'm Ile, and I'm a Pawn!" The twin with a red bag answered.

"I'm Nel, and I'm also a Pawn!" The twin with a blue bag answered.

Koneko briefly glanced to the side, seeing no signs of Ishie or Yubelluna nearby, telling her she had to wait things out a bit longer.

"I'm Koneko, now show me what you can do... chicken heads." She smirked.

Veins formed on their heads as she insulted Riser, with Mira readying her staff.

"Act as confident as you want, but you'll soon be singing a different tune once you see our strength!" She announced, readying herself for an attack.

"Sorry, but this kitty cat doesn't sing. She just hisses." Koneko retorted.

Her ears and tails popped out as Mira rushed ahead to make the first move.

* * *

Within Riser's base, magic circles were floating near Ravel as she watched every group she had sent out, briefly turning away from the group that had encountered Koneko.

"Ravel, how are things looking?" Riser inquired.

"Mira's group has encountered the Gremory's Rook, but... something's off here." Ravel replied.

Everyone else was nowhere in the sight, making her wonder why she could only see Koneko.

"And what of the others?" He asked.

Ravel briefly looked at the other magic circles.

"Shuriya's group is still trying to make their way to their home base, and they seem alright if just limited by some kind of fog illusion placed in their way. Yubelluna's nearing in on the Gremory's Rook, and the rest of your servants gathered here haven't reported anything suspicious." She replied.

"Good, it seems like everything's going as expected." Riser smirked.

Ravel let out a slight yawn out of boredom, unaware it caused her to miss the brief sight of Ishie as she noticed Yubelluna passing by.

* * *

With the group zooming through the forest, they stopped as they tried to figure out where in said forest they were.

The one in front was revealed to be a young woman with shoulder length burgundy hair. Her attire consisted of a sleeveless French maid uniform that exposed her breasts' cleavage with a white laced design on the edges, as well as a maid headpiece, half-apron, and forearm length fingerless gloves.

"Damn, this fog's too thick for us to see anything." Burent remarked.

On her left side was another young woman dressed like a maid. However, unlike with either set of twins in Riser's peerage, she looked different in both her appearance and her outfit.

She had shoulder length light brown hair and dark brown eyes. Her outfit consisted of a buttoned, sleeveless French maid uniform with a white laced design, light gray tights, along with a standard maid head piece, cuffs, and a white half-apron.

"You don't think we're being led in circles, do you?" Marion suggested.

"The Gremory's do have less members, it wouldn't be that unlikely they're stalling our arrival so we can't promote." Burent replied, realizing her fellow Pawn may be right.

At that moment, a magic circle with the Gremory crest fired off traps, causing the trio to jump.

As they were in the air, the last member of the group could be seen as she laughed at the sight. She was a young woman with tanned skin, long pale blue hair and amber eyes that had purple highlights around them. She wore a bikini made up of a metallic underwire brassier and a silk loincloth that exposed her sides.

Her other accessories including a silver colored tiara and neck rings with a ruby and blue gem respectively, ruby orb earrings, a snake themed bracelet on her upper arm, and a transparent pink veil across both her arms.

"A trap? Did they really thing something that lame would work?" Shuriya laughed.

"The Gremory's are dumber than I thought!" Burent remarked.

"Such a cute trick from a Rating Game virgin!" Marion mocked.

Once they landed, they began to slowly disable every trap, unaware that Kiba was watching them from behind the nearby trees.

* * *

Back with Koneko, she was seen dodging attacks as Mira rushed ahead, swinging her staff over and over as she tried to hit her with it.

'These attacks are simple, but I'm sure she has another trick.' Koneko thought.

At that moment, Mira spun around and revealed it, thrusting out a powerful gust of wind resembling a horizontal cyclone, causing Koneko to lean back to avoid it. The twins used the chance to pull out their chainsaws as the wind activated their magic.

Mira rushed in again, swinging more as Koneko had to occasionally dodge the burst of wind, until she was close enough that Koneko had no way of dodging.

Mira smirked as she thrust forward... only for Koneko's tails to grab her staff, making her gasp as this left her wide open for Koneko to deck her in the face with a strong right hook. She stumbled back slightly, only to be knocked down as Koneko then struck her with a roundhouse kick.

"Come and get me." Koneko challenged, looking at the twins.

They immediately began to repeat the word _slice_ as they swung their chainsaws at the air, creating blades of wind that made the White Nekoshou gasp as she was forced to move, lean, and duck to dodge them.

"Why are you running pussy cat?" Ile asked.

"What's the matter? You not a fan of chainsaws?" Nel inquired.

Koneko sighed at that.

Right after she finished, her eyes focused as she suddenly did a back flip, surprising Mira as she tried to strike her from behind.

'How did she know!?' She thought.

Ile and Nel continued their assault of wind blades, but Koneko simply teleported to the ground without a magic circle.

"Stupid pussy! Quite running!" Ile demanded.

"Yeah, we just wanna slice you!" Nel shouted.

Koneko cracked her knuckles.

"I've finally seen enough of your moves to know how you'll react, so it's time for me to go all out from here!" She announced, a fierce look on her face.

She made hand motions before assuming her true form, making the Riser's Pawns gasp as her aura flared out and revealed her true strength to them.

"Game over." Koneko announced.

Rushing ahead at surprising speeds for a Rook, she punched the twins, causing both to land on the ground.

"Take this!" Mira shouted, thrusting her staff.

"You first!" Koneko countered, swinging around.

Her fist broke her staff in half, making Mira gasp before it smashed into her chest, causing her to fall over as well. She tried to get up, only for her to realize something...

"My body... I can't move it!" She gasped.

Taking a moment to relax herself, Koneko heard a familiar sound and turned around.

"There's my cue." She smiled.

As soon as she finished saying that, Koneko ran away from the trio of Pawns, surprising them.

"Hey, get back here!" Ile complained.

"Who runs away in the middle of a battle!" Nel shouted.

Koneko answered by flying into the sky, and forming a powerful spinning wheel of Senjutsu known as a Kasha, making the three pale in response.

"She's not running away... she was moving out of the way!" Mira realized.

Imbuing more Senjutsu into her Kasha, Koneko turned the one into many. One she was ready, she spun around before swinging her arms down, causing them all to fly at the island before smashing it with enough force it completely shattered under Mira, Ile, and Nel, causing them to fall.

Their fall soon ended as the vanished.

_"Three of Lord Riser's Pawns have been retired."_ Grayfia announced.

Koneko smiled before she began flying towards Kiba's current position.

* * *

Back inside his base, Riser and Ravel stared with their eyes wide at the sight of the center island being destroyed by Koneko, taking out nearly a fourth of their side's forces in the process.

_"Did everyone just see that!? Koneko actually destroyed the center island of the battlefield with one attack, almost as if that was her plan from the beginning!"_ Naud shouted.

_"Because it was."_ Roygun replied.

Naud's following silence could almost be heard in response to her words.

_"What do you mean?"_ He asked.

_"Not only was the center island a strategic point, but due to it having a Promotion Square, it was a huge benefit to Riser's side as a result of Rias having no Pawns that could use it. However, the biggest reason I'm sure this was planned? Only two of Riser's servants can fly, so destroying even path can cripple his strategy."_ She explained.

_"Ah, now I get it. Destroying an island would force most of Riser's servants into positions Rias want them in."_ Naud realized.

Riser growled at that.

"What's going on here? Riser had Yubelluna on the scene to intercept whoever she sent to the center, so why didn't she stop them!?" He demanded, barely keeping his rage in check.

"I'm not sure, and I don't see where-" Ravel confessed.

She gasped as she saw a screen show Ishie and Rassei.

"No way... Rias anticipated our move! She sent her Bishop after Yubelluna, who's currently in battle with her!" She revealed, turning to her brother.

He growled.

"Of course, the White Dragon's power would quickly cripple her. I guess we'll just have to rely on everyone here and Shuriya's group reaching-" He realized.

_"Three of Lord Riser's Pawns, and his Queen, have been retired."_ Grayfia announced.

That caught Riser and Ravel by surprise, right as the latter saw video footage showing the other pathways being destroyed by Kiba and Akeno's attacks. Seeing this himself, Riser growled loudly before standing up.

"Ravel, join the others outside and wait for my bride's servants to arrive. I'll wait for her arrive and meet me here." He ordered.

"R-Right..." She agreed, slightly nodding.

Riser immediately pulled off his suit, revealing a battle outfit that showed off his chest and abs, with his flaming wings spreading out as an intense look formed on his face.

* * *

The scene moved back to before Koneko blew up the center island, showing Yubelluna approaching it.

She was revealed to be a busty woman with long, wavy purple hair that falls all the way down her back and matching eyes, nail polish, and lipstick. At the front, the right side of her hair falls over her breast and covers her right eye, while the left side falls near the top of her skirt. On her forehead, there was a black headband with a reddish-orange jewel that kept her long hair in place.

Her attire consisted of a dress with a navy-blue tunic top that revealed much of her cleavage and gold accents, a gold choker with blue and red jewels, a pale blue skirt with open sides, black shoes and over matching thigh-high stockings with garter belts. Over this, she wears a white overcoat with black and gold accents and matching pauldrons.

"You look so confident right now, so..." She said to herself, smirking at the end.

Holding out her hand, a staff-like scepter materialized as she prepared a magic circle.

"It's time I end that confidence." Yubelluna declared.

She flung the magic circle towards Koneko's position, expecting to retire her with one shot, but just as it was about to hit her...

*"CRACKLE!"*

Blue lightning suddenly struck her from behind, making the circle go off behind her, revealing it was the sound that Koneko took as her signal to destroy the central island. As Yubelluna regained her bearings, she turned around to see the young Sprite Dragon.

"Huh?" She blinked.

**"Dragon Blaster!"**

A beam of light blue energy struck her from behind, causing her to see Ishie as she floated into view.

"Where did you come from!?" Yubelluna questioned.

"I didn't, it's just you can't see what's below that well from up high." Ishie replied.

She immediately dashed ahead, prompting Riser's Queen to prepare a spell...

Until she noticed Ishie pass her entirely and grab Rassei, then move her wings in front of her to give them the shape of a shield, further confusing her.

*"BAM!"*

Turning around, she was pummeled by the debris of the central island's broken landmass as Koneko finally destroyed it. Her teammates' screams soon followed, making her gasp as they all glowed and vanished upon hitting the grid lines representing the battlefield's boundaries.

"You... what did you do!? Tell me!" Yubelluna demanded, completely missing the sight of Koneko flying away as her focus stayed locked on Ishie.

"Nothing special, Rias just predicted you'd come here and had me get in your way." Ishie answered, unfolding her wings.

Hearing this, Yubelluna growled as she held out her staff, forming magic circles that shrank, making Ishie's eyes widened as she realized what technique she was about to use on her.

"Hang on tight Rassei!" She warned.

Rassei let out his signature sound as Ishie began to fly around, dodging the technique that gave Yubelluna the title of Bomb Queen, but quickly noticed they were starting to catch up with her.

"I need more speed. Rassei, mind lending me some power?" Ishie realized.

Rassei nodded his head and placed his paw on Ishie's hand, making her smile.

**("DIVIDE!")**

Blue energy left Rassei's body as it siphoned into Ishie's wings, and just as the explosive magic was about to hit her...

**("RELEASE!")**

She shot forward like a Sonic Boom, knocking Yubelluna back as she flew high into the sky! As she flew, Ishie shouted with excitement as she reached to the top and turned upside down, beginning her descent by letting herself fall to the ground.

_"Look at that speed! I'm not sure how she's doing it, but Ishie Hyoudou's suddenly accelerated at a speed faster than most Knights can ever hope to achieve!"_ Naud said, in full awe of what she did.

As she continued her descent, Ishie recalled how she created this technique.

* * *

_Ishie was seen using her Divide ability on a magical object Akeno enchanted._

_And then..._

**_("BREAK!")_**

_She suddenly felt her entire body flare up in pain as she collapsed onto her knees, surprising Asia and the kendo duo._

_"What just... what just happened!?" Ishie asked, wincing slightly._

_"Nothing serious, you just experienced what happens if you try to divide more power after reaching your body's physical limits." Rias answered._

_Ishie looked at her in surprise._

_"What made the White Dragon such a dangerous being is that, while likely not being able to reach infinite power, had no limit to the amount of power he could absorb due to the nature of his species being living masses of pure power and energy. None of us have that same luxury and will eventually hit a limit we have to overcome." She explained._

_"So, what you're saying is... I need to be careful on how much power I absorb to avoid being a sitting duck?" Ishie asked._

_Akeno giggled in response._

_"Not to worry. There were two reasons we had you reach this limit, the first being to see how much power you could take in, and now we know you can take in a lot of it." She reassured her._

_"The second reason is once you reach it, there are ways to use it to your advantage. One of them is to send some of excess energy out of your wings." Rias revealed._

_Ishie's eyes widened at that._

_"Just think of that extra energy leaving you and it should work." She continued._

_"Alright, let's try it out..." Ishie replied, taking a deep breath._

_She focused on releasing some of the power, causing some red sparkles to pour out of her Longinus before they turned blue._

_"OK, stop." Rias stated._

_"Did it work?" Ishie asked._

_"It did, and see how those sparkles became blue? That represents you're at the upper limits of your power. Use that to know if you've released enough power, as while you're not wasting your power, it's best you don't lose too much potential strength." Rias confirmed, explaining the nature of said sparkles._

_She nodded at Rias' words._

_"Now, there's also a way to use most of or all of your power in one massive blow. This can be used in various ways, but is best if you're fighting someone and need to deal a major blow you don't normally have the strength to land, which you may need to help overcome Riser's regeneration." Rias mentioned._

_"OK, though before you tell me how to use it, let me see if I can use it on my own." Ishie replied._

_Rias nodded, and joined everyone in watching Ishie as she began trying to focus, hoping she'd be able to activate the call._

_"Divine Dividing, give it all you've got!" She shouted._

**_("RELEASE!")_**

_A powerful blue aura blasted out of her wings and her body, making a strong gale that everyone felt._

_'Whoa! Did I really have all this inside of me?' Ishie thought, looking at herself._

_Wondering how she'd use all this power, Ishie looked towards the nearby mountain tops and got an idea, soon motioning herself as if she was about to start running a relay._

_"Ishie, what are you-" Rias asked._

_"Here... I... go!" Ishie shouted._

_She shot through the air, making everyone scream as a small sonic boom knocked them to the ground. Ishie kept accelerating forward until she smashed into the mountain, causing its top half to explode in blue light that transformed it into a hill._

_Once everyone got back up to see, they saw Ishie tiredly land on top of the new hill as they stared in awe at what she did._

_"She... broke the mountain!" Murayama exclaimed._

_"All of that? Just because she flew into it!?" Katase questioned, her mind feeling overloaded._

_Rias looked at the sight with a silent stare, and at that moment, realized how strong Ishie was._

* * *

One she got low enough, Ishie turned around.

Yubelluna prepared her next wave of explosive magic, this time with it looking like it would strike Ishie as she didn't move.

**("RELEASE!")**

Once again, Ishie shot forward, using the last bits of the strength she took from Rassei.

She flew right towards Yubelluna, making her eyes widen as Ishie crashed into her gut.

"Guh!" Yubelluna cried out.

She was knocked towards the left path, making Akeno wince from her hiding spot, and left unaware of something flying from her form. Rassei noticed it and flew up to grab it, while Ishie took a moment to catch her breath before flying near the crash site.

"I'm impressed, to think such a newly reincarnated Devil as yourself would be this strong... though I'm certain you've depleted all of your magic power." Yubelluna stated as she just barely got up.

"I just need some time to rest and it'll recover just fine, and if that doesn't work? I can always just use my Divide ability on you." Ishie replied, smiling confidently.

"Too bad for you, I don't plan on waiting." She smirked.

Seeing her reach into her cleavage, Ishie gasped as she realized what she was implying... only for Yubelluna to find nothing.

"What? Where is it!?" She questioned, panicking slightly.

"Rah!"

Yubelluna soon saw Rassei fly next to Ishie's side, making the former gasp as her vial of Phoenix Tears was revealed to be in his mouth, and causing the latter to smile.

"Good boy!" She praised, rubbing his head.

Yubelluna growled as she held out her hand, preparing a giant explosive circle around Ishie.

"No, I won't let you stay in this game any longer! Prepare to be retired!" Yubelluna screamed.

"Akeno, now!" Ishie screamed.

Folding her wings again, a series of explosions went off where she was floating, right as Akeno flew into view. Her hands sparked with her holy and demonic lightning, making the Phenex Queen turn around to see it.

**"Rah!"**

**"Storm of Destruction!"**

Rassei fired off his blue lightning as Akeno's magic merged together, creating a three-way strike that zapped Yubelluna and pushed her into the ground. Shortly after she said this, the island began to crack.

Just to throw more salt into her wounds, the island where Kiba was on exploded, causing her teammates on it to scream before they each fell out of bounds and were retired.

"No, this can't be! I... never lose!" Yubelluna shouted.

And with that, the island she was on exploded, though instead of falling out of bonds, she retired from the damage she had taken.

_"Three of Lord Riser's Pawns, and his Queen, have been retired."_ Grayfia announced.

Ishie was seen crashing into the bit of land now only tied to Riser's side, making Akeno and Rassei gasp.

"Ishie, are you alright!?" Akeno asked.

"No worries." She smiled, holding up the Phoenix Tear.

Akeno sighed in relief as Ishie poured it on herself.

"Good thing that Kiba made me discover I could use my wings as a shield, otherwise that last move might have taken me out." Ishie remarked.

"Thank goodness that didn't happen." Rias smiled.

Ishie and Akeno put their hands by their ears.

"So, now that we've taken out nearly half of Riser's team, what's our next move? Do we just rush over to his side, or should we regroup so I can heal everyone first?" Ishie inquired.

"You and Akeno meet up with Kiba and Koneko and help them heal any damage they may have taken. I'll need a little more time before I can safely move out and sneak onto Riser's base, so use that moment before rushing in." Rias replied.

She nodded in response.

"Got it." Ishie confirmed.

Akeno and Ishie began flying towards the remains of the right path, with Rassei riding on Ishie's shoulders.

* * *

Once again going back slightly, Marion was seen disabling a trap while Burent and Shuriya were on lookout.

"Do the Gremory's really believe these traps will slow us down?" Marion questioned.

Right after saying that, Burent's eyes found an unexpected sight, seeing the fake old school building not too far away from their position.

"That's their home base, isn't it?" She remarked.

"Hurry, let's get in there and Promote!" Shuriya shouted.

All three of them ran towards it, only for it to disappear once they were only a few feet away. The sight of it fading away caught them all off guard as they began to worry.

"What is this?" Marion asked.

"Hello ladies." Kiba greeted.

The three turned around as Kiba finally walked into view, right as a large magic circle appeared overhead and trapped them.

"If you're looking some company, then I might be the man for you." He smiled.

"Damn it, those traps were just a decoy for your real plan!" Burent realized.

"Since we were lacking main power, we had to use our brains and a legal loophole. I'm pretty sure your Queen has a Phoenix Tears for that same reason." Kiba revealed.

Shuriya chuckled, putting a finger near her chin.

"I hate to burst your bubble, since you're kind of my type blondie, but do you really believe you're strong enough to defeat all three of us by yourself?" She asked, trying to provoke him.

Kiba smirked, drawing out his sword.

**"Balance Breaker: Glory Drag Trooper!"**

The dragon knight armors formed around the trio, all wielding their swords. Shuriya sweated as her fellow Pawns glared at her.

_"Three of Lord Riser's Pawns have been retired."_ Grayfia announced.

"What!?" The Phenex Pawns gasped.

Hearing that announcement, Kiba smiled as he realized Koneko had managed to complete her part of the plan.

**"Blade Blacksmith!"**

He rose his sword before stabbing it into the ground, causing a storm of his holy sword metal to crystallize from the ground and began tearing through the entire island. All of Riser's Pawns noticed this, but by then it was too late.

They all began to fall, Kiba began to fly off, only for Shuriya to throw her arm out and trap his arm in her wrapping.

"You're coming with us!" She shouted.

"No, he isn't." Koneko replied.

Shuriya turned around, right as she Koneko slash her hand across her garment and rip it in half. Her eyes widened before she joined her teammates in screaming before they were finally retired.

"Thank goodness you showed up when you did." He sighed in relief.

"No biggie." Koneko replied, flashing a thumb's up.

As they landed on the land connected to Riser's base, a huge explosion was soon heard from the remaining path. Both of them looked towards the left path as it quickly met the fate as the others.

_"Three of Lord Riser's Pawn, and his Queen, have been retired."_ Grayfia announced.

Koneko smiled as she heard that.

"Music to my ears." She remarked.

"Looks like all that's left for us to do is take Riser at his base." Kiba realized.

"Hey!" Ishie shouted.

Both of them turned to see her and Akeno, with Rassei riding on her back, flying their way before landing besides them.

"Just heard you kicked their Queen's ass, nice job." Koneko remarked.

"Yeah, but it wasn't easy. Not to mention it might have gone differently if one of my attacks hadn't sent her Phoenix Tear flying for me to use after she almost got me." Ishie admitted, rubbing the back of her neck.

"For now, Rias wants Ishie to heal up any damage you may have taken while we wait for her to sneak into Riser's base." Akeno stated.

Koneko showed a few wounds on her arms.

"This is the worst I got. Though it's mostly from debris that bombing the islands made." She stated.

"Same." Kiba chuckled, raising his arms to show the various scratches and nicks he had gained.

Ishie giggled slightly before she held out her hands to heal them.

* * *

Back within the VIP area, Katase and Murayama cheered at the sight of Ishie and Akeno defeating Yubelluna.

"She did it." Asia smiled.

Saji let out a loud whistle, showing how impressed he was.

"They're really tearing Riser's team apart!" He remarked.

"Don't get too excited." Sona warned.

Aside from her Queen, everyone looked at her in confusion, though she had expected this and already had an explanation ready.

"Up until now, all of Rias' moves have been tertiary attacks. Now her peerage has to go directly into the enemy territory, and that means they're playing on terms that favor Riser more." Sona clarified, before anyone could even ask.

She saw that Saji, Asia, Katase, and Murayama still seemed a little confused, so she continued her explanation.

"Basically, nearly halving Riser's team hasn't done anything to increase their chances. Especially since all of his remaining pieces are still completely fresh, where even Akeno has used some of her power for that one attack." She further elaborated.

Saji winced at that, looking back at the screen.

"Before we can say they have the advantage in this Rating Game, they'll need to remove most of his remaining pieces, depending on if Ravel will actually fight or not." Sona stated.

The screen then focused on Rias, showing her in deep thought.

* * *

She was shown to be looking at the pieces for everyone still in the game, focusing on Riser's base as she determined how everyone would fight.

"OK, so far? We've taken out most of his Pawns and his Queen, so only Riser and Ravel are among their long-ranged fighters." She said to herself.

Crossing her arms, Rias thought about how they might fight her servants.

'His knights will surely go after Kiba, since one of them shares his honor of the sword, and the other... can really deal damage if she hits him. Ravel might fight due to Akeno's presence, while his other Bishop is just a healer. The Pawns will definitely go after Koneko because they're Nekomata like her, and the Rooks... will fight Ishie.' Rias theorized.

Taking a moment to bite her nails, she tried to figure out how to fit herself into this guess, which might be wrong to begin with.

"I guess my best bet for now is to sneak towards the base and then hide. If Riser's expecting me, then maybe it's best I don't actually go inside the building for now." Rias decided, standing up.

She put her hand by her ear, having finally decided on her next move.

* * *

As Ishie finished healing Kiba and Koneko's minor wounds, all four servants of the Gremory Team felt their headsets shake slightly.

"Yeah?" Ishie asked.

"I've thought it over best I could, and here's the plan. I'll sneak over to Riser's base, but I can't engage in the battle just yet, so I need all of you to enter his base's vicinity as a group and catch his remaining servants by surprise to give me a chance to hide nearby until Riser's all we have in our way." Rias answered, sharing the plan.

This surprised all of them.

"That seems a little risky." Ishie remarked.

"Are you sure?" Kiba asked.

"I am. If I stay here, chances are Ravel or Riser could come after me, and it wouldn't be too hard for either of them to slip past you. While it's still dangerous for me to be nearby, if you got caught in battle or defeating everyone and needed time to recover..." Rias confirmed.

"He could use the opening, knowing your powers won't be able to hinder his regeneration like mine or Kiba's can." Akeno realized.

Rias nodded in response.

"Which makes this an instance where a risk outweighs the dangers of playing it safe. The other benefit is if he tries going after you all of you are weakened and fail to steal their second vial of Phoenix Tear, I can buy you some time." She continued.

"Got it, so what else should we know?" Koneko inquired.

Rias stood up, opening the door with a determined look.

"I'll explain as you make your way to his base. Just stay strong for what comes next, and I can assure you that we'll win this game." She stated.

Her peerage nodded and began heading towards his base, with everyone in the audience watching as they placed their bets on who would win.

* * *

**That's it for the first half of the Rating Game, and Rias has already made a strong point by taking full advantage of Riser's peerage and their battlefield to deal a strong blow to his side. The only downside is that things are still leaning against her favor, since aside from Yubelluna, they haven't taken out some of the bigger threats such as Xuelan and Ravel, who can still give them trouble.**

**I hope you like the idea of Promotion Squares, which came to me when I was thinking of a way to not having Pawns already prefer promoting into a Queen, and realizing that it would be a better idea to place special spots on the field where Pawns can temporarily have the boosts of a Bishop, Knight, or a Rook if they're standing on it. Not only does it make promoting to a Queen have more reason to it, but helps the Pawns develop the individual traits for each piece.**

**As you may notice from the one scene, no one in Rias or Riser's peerages are Low-Class Devils, and there's a reason for this. Recall how in the prior chapter, Rias told Ishie how she could one day get her own peerage, but said she wasn't interested in it? Well, in this story, any servant who doesn't wish to become a King themselves will instead be ranked by how strong of a Devil they are.**

**This idea came from how in canon, Ravel herself is the best example of someone who clearly doesn't want a peerage, but even then, it's only implied by her choosing to stay a regular Bishop as if she didn't have her High-Class ranking. In fact, the only Devil that I can recall has actually wanted to become a King is Issei, so putting everyone under the same way to advance seemed unfair.**

**Now, for the last thing I'll bring up before we end today's chapter? Bishops in this story are more often than not the supporters of their teams, and usually don't fight unless they need to. This is the main reason healing magic is more common in this story. My reason for this is because I had trouble seeing any real difference between Queens and Bishops for a while, only seeing one after noticing very few Bishops engage direct combat besides self-defense, if at all.**

**Until next time everyone, and stay awesome! ^^**


	7. Game of Gremory, Part 3

**We've finally made it to the last part of the Gremory/Phenex Rating Game, and boy is it going to be an explosive finish. Literally even, as once we reach the last scene, you'll see someone use an attack that will cause an explosion. Kind of wish that's how the game ended in canon to make it ironic, since Riser had been in the perfect position for Issei to use his Explosion command and release his stored energy.**

**Anyways, before we get back on track with today's start notes? I'd like to thank everyone for the support and praise this story has gotten, as while I had a feeling this story would be good, it's gone way beyond my expectations for it! The story's popularity has also helped me find some of my old writing magic, which I've been having trouble finding after the original version of my other DxD story, Legend of the Heavenly Dragons. *smiles* Thank you all.**

**There's not much I can say about this chapter beyond what you may already expect and what would be heavy spoilers, so the best I can say is reminding everyone the Gremory Team lacks the luxury of using Issei and Kiba's combo attack to take out most of his forces. There is at least one scene where I'll give some insight on how Ni, Li, and Koneko differ as Nekomata.**

**Now, without further ado? Let's get this chapter started and finally bring this epic Rating Game to an end!**

* * *

**[Chapter 7 - Game of Gremory, Part 3]**

Standing by the castle that represented Riser's base, the members of the Gremory Team besides Rias all stood in view, and where many might have expected them to stay quiet upon arriving...

"Hey, we know you're waiting for us! Stop hiding and come fight us!" Ishie shouted.

A laugh was soon heard as a cloud of dust flew by, revealing the sight of a girl wearing silver armor with black accents, looking to be a cross between a European Knight and a Japanese Samurai.

She also wore a headband that went across her hair and forehead, with a broadsword and a dagger as her weapons, both of which are held with brown belts slung across her hip.

"I'd normally question your sanity for asking us to attack you, but after what you did before... It's clear how crazy you Gremory's are." She replied.

She drew out her broadsword, revealing it had a red jewel on the pommel and bandages across the handle for grip. Once she did, the blade was set ablaze through the fires of the Phenex Clan.

"I am Karlamine, a Knight in the service of Lord Riser!" Karlamine revealed.

"Wait, just a Knight? I thought he left all of his pieces here?" Ishie questioned.

A small giggle was heard, making her eyes widen.

"It's quite clear that you're the rookie among all the Devils here if you're able to be caught off-guard by that." Ravel answered.

More of that dust and wind passed by, revealing Ravel and the other six Devils who served under him as if they had been invisible.

"Cheap insults aside, it looks like Rias guess was spot on." Koneko remarked.

A magic circle appeared under the group, causing them to gasp before they moved out of the way. Twin walls of flame rose up, spreading out into a X-shape as the Gremory Team was divided among each gap.

Looking around, each member of the Occult Research Club saw which of Riser's servants would face them.

* * *

_While making their slow approach to Riser's base, the Gremory Team listened as Rias shared her prediction of what would happen on their arrival._

_"Ravel's likely going to organize the rest of Riser's servants into pairs that will best work against each of you, and make sure you're cut off from one another so there's no way for you to help each other without leaving yourselves open." She explained._

_"And what are your predictions for who she'll send out against who?" Akeno inquired._

_"Staring with Kiba, he's most likely to be attacked by Karlamine and Siris, his Knights who are both magic swordsmen. Siris in particular has a heavy sword and the strength to use it, meaning Karlamine can just keep him busy, and one good swing could take him out." Rias began._

_He winced at that._

_"Don't worry Kiba, I have a strategy for that." She reassured him._

_"Alright, I'm listening." He replied._

_Rias began explaining what to do, and Kiba nodded once he heard everything, which is when Koneko heard Rias speak through her headset._

_"I'm expecting that Ni and Li, the remaining Pawns, will be sent after you since they're Nekomata like you are. However, you'll need to watch out for their speed since these twins are of the Bakeneko breed." She revealed, emphasizing her warning._

_"Their strength among Nekomata is average, but they're the fastest kind, hence why they're known for being called ghost cats." Koneko replied, realizing what she might be getting into._

_"Exactly, and I don't have any further advice besides that." Rias confirmed._

_Akeno was next to hear Rias' voice in her headset._

_"Ravel is most likely going after you, since it will make sure you waste a lot of your power before it can be used against Riser. She'll most likely have Mihae, his other Bishop, be with her so she can heal herself from any damage she has trouble healing from herself." She warned._

_"In other words, focus on taking out the Bishop before taking out Ravel." Akeno realized._

_Rias smiled at that, with Ishie realizing she was next by process of being the only one left._

_"Ishie, you'll have the tough part. I think you know which of his servants I haven't mentioned yet... and I'm certain you remember how strong one of them is." Rias stated._

_"The Rooks... including the one who has the skills of a Queen." She sighed._

_"Exactly, and you aren't very good at close combat, so they're the worst enemies you can fight. I recommend summoning Rassei away and calling him back during the fight, so they don't see him coming." Rias confirmed._

_"No worries, I actually created a little trick for this that I never got a chance to show you." Ishie replied, smiling as she did._

_Rias raised an eye after hearing that._

_"What kind of trick?" She inquired._

_"Let's just say that those Rooks risk getting caught in a... sticky situation." Ishie hinted, winking as she did._

_Rias scratched her head at her choice of words, wondering what Ishie had up her sleeve with such an odd hint._

* * *

The scene focused on Kiba's side first, who found himself face to face with Karlamine and Siris.

Siris was a tail young woman with black hair in five thin ponytails and brown eyes, wearing what looked to be a white top resembling a Chinese cheongsam and red shorts, with armored knee-high boots and matching gauntlets.

"En garde, Knight of Rias Gremory!" Karlamine announced.

She dashed ahead at those words, with Kiba doing the same as they quickly clashed blades in what looked like twin winds colliding with one another. Once she saw a chance, Karlamine pulled out her dagger and quickly used it to shatter his blade.

"Quite the powerful dagger." He admitted.

"Unfortunately for you, direct attacks won't work against us!" Karlamine announced.

Siris quickly jumped into the air, pulling out a giant Zweihander she had on her back.

"Get him Siris!" She shouted.

She shouted and swung her blade down, unleashing a gust of wind that sent Kiba tumbling back a few feet. However, once he landed, Kiba gave a confident look.

"So, you use fire and wind? That's all I needed to know." He declared.

"And what does that mean?" Siris questioned, raising an eye in response.

Kiba didn't say anything, simply forming another hilt in his free hand before swinging both of them out. The first hilt created an icy-looking blade, while the other transformed into something like a wand with a floating black orb.

"Really? Your big plan is to fight us through dual-wielding?" Karlamine questioned, looking unimpressed.

She tightened her grip on her broadsword and dashed head, swinging it at Kiba as he just stood in place.

**"Flame Delete!"**

He swung the icy blade at Karlamine's sword, causing its flames to go out and crack slightly. Karlamine gasped as she tried to reignite them... to no success.

"Siris, hurry!" She shouted.

"No worries, there's no way his sword can counter my winds!" Siris replied, dashing at him.

Kiba quickly tossed his other blade away, then held the wand-like sword with both hands.

**"Repression Calm!"**

Once Siris swung her sword around to unleash a strong gust, the black orb began sucking it all in like a vacuum, causing it to slightly crack and dull in color. Just like with her fellow Knight's flames, they didn't return.

"Did you seal our magic!?" She questioned, though it sounded more like a demand.

"A Knight should be prepared to fight without their weapon, or with more than one, in the case their opponent disables or destroys their weapon. That's unfortunately a luxury neither of you have." Kiba replied.

Swinging his hilt out, a crystalline metal he had previously only been seen using as a wave attack formed to reveal his Blade Blacksmith's true blade.

"Maybe we can't use our magic, but we can still take you down!" Siris shouted.

"That's right, our swords aren't so weak that their strength is fully reliant on using magic." Karlamine stated, holding hers out.

"Then show me what you've got." Kiba replied, accepting their challenge.

All three of them rushed ahead, once again moving too fast for anyone to see.

* * *

Koneko stood before Ni and Li, who looked at her with open mouths and eyes signaling their intent to pounce her, taking a good look between the cat twins.

Ni had blue hair tied in a ponytail and red eyes, while Li's hair was red and tied in a braid by a pink bow and had blue eyes. They wore skimpy sailor uniforms with orange ascots they each wore in a different way, fighter gloves matching their respective hair colors, fighter gloves and leg guards matching their respective hair colors, and short black skirts.

Compared to Koneko, who's ears and tails matched her hair, they had light brown cat ears with black stripes and a single tail fitting the notable difference between each breed of Nekomata they were.

"Fine, guess it's time we start this cat fight." Koneko declared, making a paw and challenge motion with her right hand.

Her eyes shifted as she intended to move with the Ni and Li seeing her moving faster than she was actually going... only for both of them to make cat sounds as they jumped through the air at the same speed.

"You surprised?" Ni asked, jumping off her shoulder.

"We can use time manipulation too, and much better apparently!" Li revealed, slamming a few punches onto Koneko.

She stumbled back, right as Ni landed behind her.

"Here, maybe this will help you focus!" They shouted together, right before they each slammed her sides with a roundhouse kick.

Koneko fell over, but quickly landed on her feet.

"This will end it!" They shouted.

Jumping together, they spun like a wheel as they formed a red and blue aura around them, creating something like a yin-yang symbol as they prepared to crash into her... only for Koneko to vanish and reappear a few feet away.

Both Nekomata yelped like cats as they crashed, leaving them momentarily dazed before looking at the White Nekoshou.

"Sorry, but only a Nekoshou can manipulate space, and I think that still leaves me with a slight advantage." Koneko stated.

The twins hissed at her.

"If you're that mad about it, then prove me wrong by beating me." She continued.

She shouted as she thrust her hands out, blasting a few Hinotama at the duo.

* * *

Akeno stood before the currently smirking Ravel, who was currently wearing a red button top with a white tie, a red skirt as well as a purple cape along with a blue satchel on her waist.

Standing behind her was Mihae, who wore a purple, orange, and pink Kimono with long black hair that was slightly tied in a traditional Japanese manner.

"Looks like Rias called it, that you would be facing me. If she got right, then I'm certain one of you must be holding your team's second Phoenix Tear." Akeno stated, quickly taking flight as she began generating her demonic lightning in one hand.

"I'll admit that I've been surprised by some of the choices Rias has made in this game, however... that won't be enough." Ravel replied, also taking flight with bird-like wings made of golden fire.

Mihae held her hands out, closing her eyes as a staff formed between them.

"Crimson Ruin Princess... Empress of Annihilation... Blade Blacksmith... the White Cat... and Divine Dividing... such grand sounding names when they're all together. However, we are the Phenex Family! And we will _not_ be defeated!" She announced.

Throwing her hand out, Ravel unleashed a golden flame that shaped itself as the fire bird her Clan was named after.

Akeno raised a hand up, unleashing a bolt of lightning that struck it down, only for it to regenerate and continue its attack.

"Whoa!" She shouted, moving out of the way.

"Didn't I just tell you? If you truly believe your situation isn't hopeless, then I'm afraid you've already lost this Rating Game." Ravel declared with a face full of confidence.

However, as she saw it? Akeno saw said confidence was her being _overconfident_ in a way not unlike her brother, and lucky for her, she had a plan for how she'd handle this.

"Then I guess we Gremory's will just defy the odds. After all, that fortitude is what we're famous for." Akeno retorted.

Ravel sighed before holding out both of her hands, unleashing multiple Phoenix Fires as they raced at Akeno, who charged more lightning before letting it out with a yell. This time it was her Holy Lightning, which smashed through the demonic magic and hit Ravel.

Flames covered her face as her wounds slowly recovered, though slightly limited by the holy attributes overwhelming her mind.

"Mihae!" She shouted, nearly grunting.

"At once Lady Ravel." She replied.

Holding out her staff, she released a wave of healing magic to help Ravel recover, which is when Akeno held out her other hand.

**"Thunderbolt!"**

A strike of lightning flew out from it, making Mihae gasp as she formed a magic circle to protect herself.

* * *

Ishie felt herself sweating as her two opponents stood before her.

"So, you're the White Dragon that Rias managed to make her newest servant. I'm Xuelan, a Rook under Lord Riser's service." Xuelan greeted, readying herself in a Kung Fu stance.

"And I am Isabela, the other Rook under the honorable Lord Riser." Isabela stated, cracking her knuckles.

Xuelan was shown to be a young woman of Chinese descent with shoulder-length black hair held in two Chinese-style buns on both sides of her head and blue-green eyes. Her outfit consisted of a navy-blue qipao with gold accents that was open at the chest area to reveal her large breast and notable cleavage, a white sash around her stomach, black armguards over her forearms, and black low-heeled shoes.

Isabela's look was a mix of normal yet unique. She was a young woman with short light brown hair with red highlight and gray eyes, wearing an open dark brown jacket that showed her large breasts and cleavage in a similar manner to her fellow rook while also exposing her midriff, jeans of the same color with the right pants leg ripped off, a pair of silver wrist cuffs with black fingerless gloves, black boots with metal soles. Strangely enough, she also had a plain white mask covering the right side of her face.

"Now, prepare yourself to fight... Bishop of Rias Gremory!" Isabelle shouted.

Ishie bent back to dodge the attack, only for Xuelan to jump up and try attack her with a fiery diving kick, which sent her flying back.

'So, this is the Rook that has the skills of a Queen? If I'm Rias' strongest piece, then I think she might be the same, rather than his actual Queen being his strongest member.' She thought, noticing a clear difference in power.

Her thoughts were quickly confirmed as she was forced into a dodging frenzy as Xuelan continued to attack her with either her flaming fists or feet, leaving her no room to make a counterattack.

Just as she thought she had an opening, Xuelan did a windmill kick that missed her... only for a gust of air to knock her down. Following that, she screamed as she punched Ishie dead in the chest, making her cough before an explosion of air and fire sent her flying.

"Did that do it?" Isabela questioned.

The answer came as Ishie flew into the air, panting and showing signs of damage, but still able to keep going.

"Nice one." Xuelan praised.

_"Looks like all of the Gremory Team's in a pinch right now, but their Bishop seems to have drawn the short-end of the stick against the stronger members of the Phenex Team in a 2-on-1 battle!"_ Naud announced.

_"It doesn't help that Riser's strongest piece is the one of her two opponents."_ Roygun added.

That remark surprised Naud.

_"Really? That Chinese Rook is the strongest servant Riser has? Why not his sister or his Queen, especially as the latter has never been retired before this game?"_ He asked. confused by the Champion's comment.

_"Don't let Evil Pieces be the definitive factor. Rias herself proves her strongest member isn't her Queen, as a mere Bishop wouldn't have reincarnated the White Dragon's host if she had unlocked it before becoming a Devil. Also, if being champion has taught me anything, it's that some Devils don't initially have their full potential unlocked, so one big part of the Rating Games is considering that even a Pawn could be the greatest threat."_ Roygun revealed.

Hearing that, Ishie focused on Xuelan.

'If the strongest Rating Game player says she's the strongest, then it has to be true. Looks like I'll need to use my new technique on her.' She realized.

She dove back down, surprising Riser's Rooks as she descended.

"What's she doing?" Isabela questioned.

"I don't know, but I'm not wasting this chance to take her out." Xuelan replied.

Ishie saw her dash ahead, and then smirked. Isabela caught this.

"Xuelan, look out!" She shouted.

However, it was too late for Xuelan to stop, as she had already kicked her leg out to strike Ishie with.

**"Division Barrier!"**

**("DIVIDE!")**

As her foot made contact with the Divine Dividing's wings, Xuelan felt her energy siphoned away, catching Isabela off-guard since she expected a counter or an attack.

"Hurry, get away before she can divide your power again!" She warned.

"Sorry, but that's not happening?" Ishie replied, smiling through her wings.

Xuelan tried to pull her foot off Ishie's wings, only to see a magic circle form and hold her foot, making her gasp.

"I'm stuck!" She shouted.

"Say what!?" Isabela gasped.

Ishie immediately took to the sky, with Xuelan screaming as she was suddenly pulled into the air with her, hanging upside down from her one foot.

"Now, time for a ride!" She announced.

**("RELEASE!")**

Ishie accelerated like before, this time causing Xuelan to be spun around with her as Isabela watched, struggled to keep an eye on her fellow Rook while also not getting dizzy from the keeping her focus on the two circling through the air.

_"Well, this is definitely a first!"_ Naud announced, rubbing his eyes as he felt his eyes shake for a moment.

_"This is gonna hurt some viewers' eyes."_ Roygun agreed, blinking every few seconds.

Every ten seconds, Xuelan felt more of her power being drained, allowing Ishie to regain some of her lost strength before she finally grabbed Xuelan by her arm.

"Here, catch!" She shouted.

Isabela felt her eyes widen as her slightly dazed vision caused her to be hit by Xuelan dead on, leaving them both on the ground as a Phoenix Tear fell out of the latter's cleavage.

'Seriously? Does everyone in Riser's peerage hide it there?' She questioned.

Xuelan gasped as she saw it flew out, and reached to grab it.

However, she saw Rassei appear from his summoning square, looking at her with an angry look before opening his mouth. She and Isabela shouted as they were zapped, which left them stunned long enough for Rassei to grab it in his mouth and fly back to Ishie.

"And with that, there were none." Ishie smiled.

She poured it on herself, undoing all the damage Xuelan that had done to her and synchronizing with the remaining energy she had taken.

"Time to finish this!" She announced.

Flying higher, Isabela and Xuelan realized they had to act.

"Hurry, strike her down before she gets her chance to do whatever she's planning!" Isabela shouted.

"Right!" Xuelan nodded.

Isabela grabbed her and then threw her up, with Xuelan shifting herself for a powerful fiery punch as she looked like a meteor that was rising towards the atmosphere instead of the opposite.

However, the moment she got close... Ishie smirked.

'Oh no, did we fall for another trap?' She thought.

Crossing her arms, dozens of magic circles appeared around Ishie as she readied the same technique that she offed Raynare with, this time with an official name.

**"Starlight Strike!"**

Each magic circle unleashed a colorful beam, comprising of nearly the entire rainbow, and hitting Xuelan dead on as she was quickly retired. Isabela let out loud screaming as they soon took her out as well.

_"Two of Lord Riser's Rooks have been retired."_ Grayfia announced.

Having finally flown behind the base and begun watching her peerage's battles, Rias was completely surprised at what she had seen Ishie do.

'Of course! Back when she was training with Akeno and Koneko on the mountains, she nearly fell off and caught herself with a magic circle! She must have realized that by combining it with the durability of her wings, she could trap someone if she had trouble touching them!' She thought.

Needless to say, realizing Ishie's strategy caused Rias to smile, watching Ishie let out a single breath as the Gremory Bishop realized her lack of fatigue.

"Hey, I think I'm starting to get used to this." She said, flashing a big smile at herself.

Rassei flew towards her cheek and nuzzled it, making her giggle as his praise over her small achievement.

* * *

Asia and the kendo duo cheered as they saw Ishie defeat both Rooks.

"Damn! She was struggling, yet she managed to overcome that and take them out!" Saji remarked, mildly impressed by her sudden comeback.

"It might be a little unconventional, but we can't deny the results either." Sona agreed.

However, her thoughts soon turned to the moment she saw Ishie didn't look fatigued like before.

'That's strange, normally a Devil would take an entire month before that stops happening, but she hasn't been a Devil for long enough. Then again, Rias and Akeno did tell me her magic potential was incredibly high.' She thought.

Sona decided to push that thought aside for now, assuming it might just be because of Albion's power.

As she did, another shocking sight would soon catch the attention of everyone in the VIP area.

* * *

Akeno and Ravel's fire and lightning clashed as Mihae laid on the ground, struggling to recover some power while Ravel made sure she didn't retire. However, right as she was about to unleash her next attack, Akeno appeared right before her.

"It surprises me how hard you're fighting, considering that from what Rias and I saw in recordings of Riser's previous games, you've never actually fought before now." She remarked.

"Back then, I had no reason to fight, but I do this time!" Ravel shouted.

Hearing that, Akeno raised an eye in response.

"And what reason would that be?" She inquired.

Ravel seemed confused by her answer to what should have been obvious, but just assumed that Akeno was trying to distract her.

"The future of Devils through this marriage, obviously." Ravel replied, believing she was humoring Akeno.

She prepared a magic circle, only to stop as she saw Akeno sigh.

"Is your brother the one telling you that? Because if it he is, then I feel somewhat sorry that you're fighting because of your brother's fabrications." She stated.

"Wait, what!?" Ravel questioned.

"First of all? It isn't the entire race at stake, as this isn't some kind of Adam and Eve story for Devils. Second? While it's true Devils are currently an endangered species due to the last two wars, it isn't enough for marriages like this one to be everywhere." Akeno answered, pointing out the flaws in her knowledge.

Ravel suddenly paused, only now realizing those details.

However, she tried to tell herself Akeno was lying, that her brother couldn't have been lying to her.

"In fact, the whole reason your brother and Rias are even engaged? If you pay attention to what happened during the same time the engagement happened, you'll start to see the truth of everything." She continued.

Once that was said, Ravel paused in confusion, feeling something tingle in her head.

'W-What's she talking about? Why would something from 5 years ago be important? I... I want to trust Riser, but... is there something I don't know? That he doesn't know!?' Ravel questioned, feeling confused.

Realizing she had a chance, Akeno raised her hand once more.

Mihae soon looked up to see a bolt of holy lightning near her.

* * *

Koneko back flipped away from some hinotama being thrown by Ni and Li, who panted a bit as Koneko did the same, all three of them looking fairly tired.

"Is this really the full extent of your power?" Ni questioned.

"How pathetic, especially since you're _her_ sister." Li replied.

Hearing them say those words, Koneko's eyes suddenly shrunk, before the twins suddenly froze as they saw her aura explode.

"Uh..." They both sweated in response.

Koneko held her hands out, forming multiple kasha around her as she looked at the Nekomata twins with a red glow in her pupils, making it clear she wasn't just angry... she was completely pissed off!

"What... did you... just say!?" Koneko questioned, no... demanded.

"You're hearing things, we didn't-" Ni replied, trying to cover their tracks.

A single kasha flew between them, exploding as the two Nekomata felt fear crawl into their hearts, seeing Koneko show more emotion than usual as her face turned changed to resemble something like an Oni mask.

"Don't you ever... _ever_ insult my sister!" She screamed as her eyes widened.

The remaining kasha all went flying out, making Ni and Li scream in fear.

* * *

Kiba was knocked back as Siris and Karlamine slashed at him simultaneously, barely parrying their attacks as he slid across the ground.

"Time to end this!" Siris shouted, rushing at him.

"Right you are, this is over!" He announced.

Kiba stabbed the ground, forming a wall of holy metal that blocked Siris off. It was moments after that the Glory Drag Troopers formed and surrounded the Phenex Knights.

**"Blade Wave!"**

Kiba and each of the Troopers swung their swords forward, causing a massive wave of the holy metal to spike out and surrounded the duo. At the same time the metal neared them, Nia and Li were struck by Koneko's kasha, and Mihae by Akeno's lightning.

In one fell swoop, all of them were retired, causing the flaming wall of fire to fade as Ravel gasped at the sight.

_"Two of Lord Riser's Knights, two of his Pawns, and one of his Bishops have been retired."_ Grayfia announced.

"Everyone..." Ravel said quietly.

She had started this game under the belief that Rias and her servants would have no chance against her brother's peerage, but the sight she was seeing now?

'This is the peerage that could finally beat him!' She thought, actually believing it.

Ishie looked at her, making her flinch as Kiba, Akeno, and Koneko walked besides her.

"Call your brother out here." She requested.

"Wait... what?" Ravel blinked, looking confused.

"We've waited long enough, and I think you're smart enough to realize that your chances aren't that good against the four of us." Ishie replied.

Familiar laughter could soon be heard, getting everyone's attention.

**[Sonic the Hedgehog: Mephiles - First Battle]**

Looking on the roof, everyone saw Riser walk into view, laughing as he stared at them with a mix of a confident and angered expression. No doubt he was still sure of victory, yet insulted that almost his entire peerage had been defeated against the odds he was facing.

_"This is it everyone! Riser has finally moved himself onto the field, the question now is will the Gremory Team bring checkmate on him, or will he survive being in Check long enough to turn things around and win as most are expecting him to?"_ Roygun questioned.

Riser soon glanced behind the building.

"Stop holding already, my dear Rias. It's only fair you show yourself now that Riser's done the same." He stated, confirming her suspicions.

She sighed and walked into view, a slight bit of sweat trickling down her cheek.

"Act as confident as you want Riser, but that won't change the fact your sister has clearly lost her confidence, meaning you alone have to face all of my peerage by yourself.' She warned, doing her best to stand her ground.

"Taunt Riser all you want, but a Rating Game virgin like yourself has no way to scare me!" Riser countered.

Rias growled at that.

"Akeno!" She shouted.

"I'm on it!" Akeno smiled.

Both of them unleashed their signature powers against Riser, slamming him hard as he didn't even attempt to dodge and let his entire upper half get destroyed. While he fell over, both of them, along with the rest of Rias' peerage gasped in shock as what happened next.

Riser stood back up, flames growing out of the giant wound as his body was restored as if he had never taken any damage in the first place.

"Did you really believe that your powers were a secret weapon? Riser has faced enough opponents who have used the same, and has easily gained the strength needed for his healing to be strong against such countermeasures." Riser revealed, his healed face showing him smirking.

He then unleashed a strong wave of fire that, after Ravel screamed and flew out of the way, quickly swallowed the Gremory Team inside of it.

**[Insert Song End]**

Seeing them all caught inside, Riser let out a laugh of victory.

"Give it up Rias, we're about to be mated! Riser knows you better than you know yourself! This is checkmate, my darling!" He declared.

"Then we reject that checkmate!" Ishie retorted.

Riser's eyes widened as the flames finally vanished, revealing Ishie had used the Divine Dividing to block all of his flames.

"What!?" He shouted.

Ishie spread her wings out, with both her and the other members of the Gremory Team looking no less confident that before as they all gave Riser a fierce glow.

"Just resign already, or all of you are going to get hurt!" He demanded.

"Forget it! Try as you might, but you will not intimidate me or my family!" Rias announced, pointing at him.

Riser stared at them, then closed his eyes.

"Then you leave Riser no choice, it's time for Riser to use... _it_." He declared.

Ravel gasped as she heard that, while even Naud and Roygun looked confused by that.

"It? What is _it_ exactly?" Naud whispered.

"I'm not sure, but it sounds like he's been saving a trump card for something that wasn't this, and Rias has pushed him far enough to use it before he planned to." Roygun assumed.

Holding out his arm, Riser's familiar, the small Phoenix, landing on his arm.

"The time has come... you shall be incinerated by my greatest power!" He declared.

**"Rising Phoenix!"**

His entire body set aflame, pulling him and the small Phoenix into it as the flames began to expand and reshape themselves.

'A Phenex... with an actual Phoenix? What is he trying to do!?' Rias questioned, filling her mind and body fill with strong fear.

The flames continued to spread and change form.

* * *

Back in the VIP area, Sona's eyes were wide as she saw the only thing she couldn't expect or give Rias strategy advice for began to show itself, whatever it would be once the unknown technique had fully manifested itself.

"Sona... what's happening?" Saji asked, feeling sweat drip down his face.

"I... I don't know. Whatever he's doing, it's something he's never used before." Sona admitted.

Asia gasped as she heard that.

"Then they're fighting blind against something Riser just implied to be super powerful!?" Murayama realized.

Sona didn't say anything, but the silence was enough.

"What's going to happen to everyone?" Asia questioned.

"I don't know, but... something tells me that the whole Rating Game has been leading up to this moment." Katase replied.

Whatever happened next, Rias and peerage would have to trust their own instincts to win.

* * *

The flames soon burst out two flares from the side, and the technique finally revealed itself as a powerful transformation. Riser and his Familiar had combined... into the form of a giant Phoenix made of his clan's golden flames!

Riser unleashed a giant screech resembling that of a fully-grown Phoenix, staring at the Gremory Team who felt his heat pouring down on them.

"I didn't think he would be hiding something like... like _this_ from us!" Rias stated, feeling her body shaking.

"He's a lot stronger now. If I'm being honest, I'm worried if we can beat this thing, even if we were to forgo the entire clean sweep just to try making it possible." Koneko admitted, also feeling nervous.

Kiba gritted his teeth, while Akeno went silent as she tried to think of something.

"Is this really that different from before?" Ishie questioned, still looking at Riser.

Everyone looked at her.

**[Unbreakable Machine Doll: To Victory]**

"Maybe he's stronger, and maybe our chances of winning aren't as high as before, but... they aren't zero! He's bigger now, and with that kind of transformation, I'm sure that he's burning a lot of power that could easily be his downfall!" She continued.

"Ishie..." Rias said softly, surprised by her words.

Ishie turned to her friends. As they saw her face, they could see the confidence and belief flowing through her eyes. Riser's technique had done nothing to shake her belief in their victory.

"We all promised Rias we'd free her from this engagement, so let's prove that wasn't an empty promise!" Ishie announced.

Hearing those words, Rias smiled as she felt her own courage return.

"Ishie's right, we can only lose when we give up!" She exclaimed.

"We once gave her a pep talk, and now she's given one to us. Kind of ironic... yet it's the kind of irony I like." Koneko smiled, nodding her head.

Kiba readied his sword.

"I'm ready when all of you are!" He declared with a smile.

"Yeah, let's show him what we're made of!" Akeno agreed.

Riser glared at them.

"You still refuse to accept your inevitable defeat? Fine, then Riser will have to push you to the brink of death and force you out of this game!" Riser exclaimed.

Everyone spread their wings while Ishie began levitating off the ground.

"Since we don't know anything about this technique of Riser's, my last order is... to fight as we always have!" Rias announced.

"Right!" Everyone replied.

Ishie flew ahead of the group, prompting Riser to release flaming feathers like they were arrows, though she dodged them all as she crossed her arms in an x-shape.

**"Dragon Blaster!"**

She unfolded her arms as she released her beam, smashing into Riser's body as it pushed him back slightly.

Rassei soon flew from off her back and blasted out a surge of blue lightning, briefly stunning Riser before he flapped it away. Seeing an opening, Kiba flew underneath Riser.

**"Blade Blacksmith!"**

Multiple copies of his sword formed and stabbed into Riser, locking themselves in as the holy energy burned through his flames.

"This isn't enough... to stop Riser!" He shouted.

"Then let's see how you handle this!" Akeno challenged.

She screamed as she swung her hands forward, unleashing her Holy and Demonic Lightning together, using the swords as lightning rods as Riser took heavy damage, letting out a painful screech as his flames shrunk.

"It's working!" Ishie smiled.

"His regeneration must only exist as one collective form! If we dispel this transformation, then it should immediately retire him!" Kiba theorized.

"Then let's make sure we keep hitting him with everything we've got!" Rias smiled.

Koneko immediately appeared from overhead, readying a kasha above her left hand and a hinotama above her right hand.

"Allow me." She offered.

Tossing her hand forward, both split into multiples of themselves before slamming into Riser, who roared and forced Kiba's swords out as a powerful heat wave slammed into everyone.

"Don't give up!" Ishie shouted.

"Rah!" Rassei roared in agreement.

Rias immediately held out her hand and gathered her Power of Destruction into two masses, then quickly threw them towards Riser, cutting through the heat wave. However, though falling apart just before they could hit.

"Damn it!" She shouted.

"Don't worry, at least now we don't have that heat wave in our way!" Kiba replied.

Ishie crossed her arms again.

"Everyone, let's try attacking him at the same time! Merge our attacks into one!" She suggested.

Everyone nodded at that, gathering their attacks.

"All together!" Ishie shouted.

"Now!" Rias shouted, giving the command to unleash their attacks.

Ishie fired another Dragon Blaster, which shot forward alongside an orb of destruction, Akeno's holy lightning, a few holy swords, and a single kasha.

**[Insert Song End]**

They swirled together and transformed into a spiraling multi-colored beam that hit Riser's head with incredible force, pushing him near the ground.

"We're breaking through!" Akeno smiled.

Riser's eyes flashed and he let out a loud screech, settling himself ablaze as he incinerated their combination attack.

"Oh no, look out!" Rias warned.

"For what!?" Ishie questioned.

However, she soon got her answer as an explosion of fire spread out from Riser's body, making her eyes widen as she and Rassei hid under her Division Barrier. Unfortunately, they had no time to reach the others.

All of them screamed as they were hit, and when the explosion passed, Ishie gasped as she unfolded her wings to see their weakened states.

"Don't worry, I'm coming to heal you!" She shouted.

"Stop! Stay where you are!" Rias loudly ordered.

Ishie did so, leaving her confused as Akeno slowly reached into her kimono, pulling out a talisman.

"Here... catch!" Akeno requested.

Ishie caught the talisman, looking at it in confusion.

"What's this for?" She asked.

"Do you remember what I said... about how you were the one we definitely couldn't have retired in this game? This is what it was all building up to." Rias explained.

Ishie looked at her confusion.

"Riser's strong, but you have the power of a Dragon... and our power." Akeno added.

"The White Dragon is also known as the Dragon of Supremacy because those who've been born with the Divine Dividing have been unable to achieve much on their own. For the power to halve another's power is useless if one's alone." Kiba continued.

Koneko smiled, being the last to look at her.

"So, it's time for us to lend you our power... so you can beat Riser, and become the kind of Dragon we can all be proud of!" She finished, speaking for everyone.

Ishie's eyes widened at that.

"It's all in your hands now, Ishie... now take Riser down with our strength fighting alongside your own!" Rias announced.

The talisman activated, revealing a certain symbol on each member of the Gremory Team besides Ishie and Rassei, causing a different colored aura to glow around each of them. Rias had red, Akeno's was purple, Kiba's was yellow, and Koneko's was green.

All of them shot out as Ishie's suddenly shot to meet them, revealing it was blue, and them merging with the other four colors of energy to form a rainbow that flowed into her body and filled her with everyone's strength.

*"CRACK!"*

Ishie felt something in her break as she heard that, and then let out a loud shout as her friends slumped on the ground, only having enough strength to stay conscious and not be retired from the game. Rias slowly turned her head towards Ishie, giving her a smile for good look.

"Go get him..." She quietly encouraged.

Riser stared at the sight before him, trying to figure out exactly what Akeno had done, only certain it had been something everyone had agreed on _before_ the game started.

**[Monster Hunter Stories, Ride On: Unreleased Kinship Track]**

Ishie soon flew into the sky, stopping at the very top as she planted her feet against the ceiling, and then staring at Riser as he returned her look with equal pressure.

"It's time... let's end this!" She announced.

"Yes, it's time Riser ends this pathetic charade!" He agreed.

Ishie kicked off the ceiling.

**("RELEASE!")**

Ishie accelerated towards Riser, with Rassei clinging to her back as his body began to spark with his blue lightning.

"Rah!" He roared.

**"Dragon Booster!"**

Al of the magic power she gained from the others gathered itself together for a one-time technique, accelerating to even faster speeds than before as Rassei fired his lightning on Ishie herself!

The combination of this caused a strange reaction as Ishie's aura turned bright white... and then a loud roar not belonging to Rassei went off.

_"That roar... can it be!?"_ Naud questioned.

Roygun stared at Ishie with interest, wondering what was about to happen. Ishie soon struck Riser's flaming body, only for him to screech and knock her away with his fire, but she growled as her eyes focused.

"I... will not... let you... defeat us!" She screamed, causing her aura to explode.

**('That's right, show him your power as the current White Dragon Emperor!')**

At that moment, everyone stared in wonder as the aura began shaping itself, drawing on her power, Rassei's power, and the strength of the entire Occult Research Club as it transformed in the same manner as Riser had with his familiar.

When it ended, everyone stared at what was revealed to be a white Dragon with golden horns and a furry body, with wings that looked like the Divine Dividing.

_"Oh, my god! That's... that's Albion, the Vanishing Dragon himself!"_ Roygun exclaimed.

_"I... I can't believe what I'm seeing right now, and that's likely true for everyone watching this right now! Somehow, without any explanation other than what seems like luck and fate pairing at the best time... we're seeing a miracle!"_ Naud announced.

Riser's eyes widened, shaking as he realized he stood before an energy manifestation of the Dragon of Supremacy himself.

"Riser is not afraid! You might be creating this image of the White Dragon, but there's no way you've actually called it or its legendary power here!" Riser shouted, refusing to believe he had any chances of losing.

"I don't need to, because this power alone is enough for me to win!" Ishie countered.

Riser and Ishie's respective transformations charged at each other, creating a massive amount of energy that slammed by the edge of Riser's island, nearly blinding Ravel and the Gremory Team as the entire battlefield shook from the intense magical pressure they were emitting.

'Amazing...' Roygun thought.

With one final explosion, the two forces of magical energy exploded, completely shattering the entire Rating Game arena in the process!

**[Insert Song End]**

A huge light filled the area, leaving everyone unsure of what happened. There was silence as the veil of smoke and dust left behind by the two clashing powers was still too thick for anyone to see what happened.

_"Everyone, your attention please! While we still can't confirm who it is... we've just received confirmation someone has retired! I ask you to wait as the smoke clears to reveal if this game is finally over, or still going!"_ Naud announced.

Rias gasped at that.

'Come on Ishie, please... please be the one still standing.' She begged, tightening her fist.

Inside the smoke, a figure could be seen walking. Everyone looked at it closely, trying to see who it was as their details slowly came into view, until finally... a blue flash went off as their wings disappeared, revealing exactly who it was.

Rias, Akeno, Kiba, and Koneko all smiled as they saw the smiling face of Ishie Hyoudou walk into view.

"It's... it's over! Riser has been defeated, which means... Rias Gremory is the winner of this Rating Game!" Naud announced, holding the microphone high as he leaned his back and head for emphasis.

The unseen crowd watching the game let out an explosion of cheers at the announcement.

No one had expected this outcome, but against all possible odds? Rias both won the game, and did so without losing a single member of her team!

"Ishie!"

Turning her head, she saw the sight of Asia, Katase, and Murayama rushing towards her, jumping her with a group hug.

"You did it, you actually beat him!" Asia cheered.

"That was incredible! How'd you bring out your Dragon at the end?" Katase praised before asking.

"Nice job." Murayama smiled.

Ishie let out a happy chuckle.

"It wasn't just me... it was only because everyone was willing to put my faith in me. Because of that, we won this game, together." She replied.

They hugged her closer, and Roygun smiled as she looked at the young Bishop.

'Never before have I seen a reincarnated Devil with potential like yours... Ishie Hyoudou, something tells me what you've achieved today will mark a new era for our kind!' She mentally declared, seeing something hiding inside of her.

She stood up left the room shortly after, returning home to enjoy this feeling for as long as it would last.

* * *

In a special stand for those who were part of the Gremory and Phenex Families, many were seen gathered together. The audience consisted of Riser and Rias' parents, Riser's older brother Ruval, Sirzechs, Grayfia, and another unknown man.

All of them showed amazement, but not at the result of the Rating Game itself. It the final clash that brought it to its end that truly caught their eye.

"Sirzechs, didn't you say that this girl has only been a Devil for a short time? Because what I saw... it seemed way beyond the abilities of a reincarnated Devil." The unknown man asked, turning his head towards at the Satan.

"I did, and that was the truth I had been aware of, but something tells me you and I are sharing the same thought." Sirzechs confirmed.

He nodded his head before looking at the Lords and Ladies of both Clans.

"Because of what happened 5 years ago and how strength matters most to the world of Devils, we were forced into making a decision to prevent people from asking questions about Rex's death. I can't tell you how sorry I am for that." He apologized, lowering his head slightly.

"Don't be, we each made our own mistakes. Rias didn't realize the full-scope of the power she possessed because we never took the time to teach her while young enough." Zeoticus replied, holding a hand up.

"And Riser had seen Ruval's Rankings in the Rating Game and assumed our power was invincible. He needed to lose, and Rias finally achieved what no one else could or would accomplish." Lady Phenex added, smiling at the last words.

The man smiled at those words.

"I appreciate how forgiving you are. Perhaps this victory isn't the only true miracle, but the very fact Rias found her new Bishop in the first place." The man stated.

He then looked at Sirzechs.

"Come now, let us gather the higher ups to discuss something. I have a feeling we've found a new and better proposition we can suggest in place of this engagement we had been forced to humor all this time." He declared, smiling as he did.

"Very well." Sirzechs replied, also smiling.

Both of them walked out of the room, with Sirzechs forming a magic circle by his ear as he contacted a few individuals.

* * *

Back on the battlefield, everyone was finally back on their feet, with Sona and her peerage having joined the others.

"You did good Rias." Sona praised.

"Thanks Sona, but it's Ishie that deserves all the credit." Rias stated.

Ishie was surprised by that, making her point at herself in response.

"Even though I had Akeno prepare that last resort that somehow reacted to the White Dragon living inside of you... if you hadn't spoken up and helped us find our courage in that one moment? We might have lost." She admitted.

Hearing that, Ishie felt her eyes tear up as she cried tears of joy, sniffling as she wiped them away with her arm.

"Thank you." She smiled.

"And for that same reason, I think you've earned a reward." Rias offered.

Hearing that, Ishie felt a certain idea come to mind, and glanced at Kiba.

"I have one in mind." Ishie stated.

Looking at him fully, Kiba noticed her looking at him.

"Kiba, can you stand still for a moment?" She asked.

"Uh... sure?" He replied.

Holding himself in place, no one was prepared for what happened next as without any warning?

*"SMOOCH!"*

Ishie kissed him on the lips! His eyes widened, while everyone gasped.

"Whoa..." Rias breathed.

"Oh my, and I'm sure that was their first kiss for the both of them. It seems someone's become quite bold." Akeno giggled.

Ishie pulled away, smiling at him.

"I know where my feelings currently stand. As such, regardless of where things go... I at least wanted to do that once. Now, if you'll excuse me?" She replied.

She giggled before quickly running off.

"Get back here Ishie!" Katase shouted.

"How dare you take that away from everyone else! What happened to gals before guys!?" Murayama shouted.

Both of them started chasing her, leaving everyone to laugh besides Saji, who looked like he'd blow a gasket.

* * *

Sometime later, Sirzechs was seen sitting at a large table.

The unknown man was sitting in another chair, along with other Devils, most of them old besides a few younger individuals around Sirzechs age. Once the last seat was filled, clapping was heard.

"Alright, now that we're all here? Let's get this meeting started." Someone announced.

"Before that, what is this meeting even about? Are we considering a different option for how Rias Gremory must choose her eventual fiancé? Considering the reason we even had it formed in the first place-" Another inquired.

The unknown man cleared his throat, getting everyone's attention as he stood up and finally had his appearance become clear to all.

"You have something to say, Zekram?" The same Devil inquired.

He was a middle-aged looking man with black hair and peaceful violet eyes, wearing noble attire that made it clear what it was, yet did so modestly. He had an aura of strong dignity exuding from him, which is why everyone quickly listened.

This man was Zekram Bael, the original Bael and one of the Devils that founded the 72 Pillars at the Dawn of the Devil race.

"As you all know? Back when Rex Phenex had been accidentally killed by Rias Gremory, we had been forced to create the engagement as a way of making sure no one learned the truth, using the guise of a Devil with the powers of both my and the Phenex bloodline and the loss of a good friend to prevent anyone from asking questions. An idea that we all knew wasn't ideal... yet our only option at the time." Zekram explained.

Everyone closed their eyes and nodded, remembering all the options they had been forced to consider that day.

"Worse, since this engagement has been dissolved through Rias winning the Rating Game? Despite the show of power that she demonstrated... many might not appreciate the loss of this engagement. Before long, we may see some turn against us, furthering the problems we're already dealing with." He continued, sighing slightly.

"Based on your wording, I'm assuming you have a solution against this?" A younger Devil inquired.

Zekram suddenly smiled, getting everyone's attention as he nodded, then turned his attention to Sirzechs.

"I do, but I believe Sirzechs should start off this idea." He verified.

Sirzechs nodded in reply, soon holding his hand out up as he began.

"As most of you likely say in the Rating Game, what ultimately allowed my sister to win when she was severely outnumbered as she was, much less without losing any of her servants? It was acquiring her most recent servant known as Ishie Hyoudou, who is also the current White Dragon." He explained.

"And... why is this important?" Someone asked.

"Despite what the Rating Game may have told her, she hasn't even been a Devil for that long. At best, it's only been two weeks from the date I can recall." Sirzechs revealed.

Nearly everyone in the room gasped and began chatting amongst each other.

"For a newly reincarnated to show the level of skill she possesses? I believe letting this information reach the public's ears may be beneficial, as to learn such a newly made Devil is capable of defeating someone like Riser could easily inspire her fellow reincarnated Devils and maybe even the current heirs of this generation." Zekram mentioned.

"Well, that would certainly help inspire things, but..." The same Devil replied, both for the idea yet uncertain if it was the best.

"There's also something my sister told her before the game that I think she's taken to heart. That if she keeps trying, then one day, she can make herself into a hero. So, why not make her the Hero we Devils have looking for since the civil war ended?" Sirzechs suggested.

Gasps filled the room, and those who seemed unsure were quickly starting to see merit in the idea, but before anything could be agreed to?

"There's something I must ask. For this idea to be pushed in the manner you've told us, there has to be something more to it. Why exactly do you believe supporting this one Devil would have the merit you're suggesting it will?" The Devil who spoke first inquired.

"Well, while neither Sirzechs or myself can guarantee it as of now? After seeing the Rating Game, we're almost certain that..." Zekram answered.

The rest of his words and everyone's reaction to them were hidden, and shortly after the latter had passed, Zekram looked at everyone.

"All in favor in making Ishie Hyoudou the Devil Hero?" He inquired.

Many hands quickly raised up, and while initially it looked like some would be against it? After a few seconds of extra thinking time... the decision became a unanimous one.

Zekram smiled at this.

* * *

**I bet you didn't expect some of the scenes in this chapter! First, we have Riser basically turn into an actual Phoenix using his familiar. Then we have Ishie using a one-time technique (like the Breast Fairy and Gigantic Balance Breaker) to manifest Albion, using it to win the game, but only because Rias and the rest of the ORC used one of Akeno's talismans to give them her power. Finally, Ishie stole Kiba's first kiss!**

**Then we have the scene where Zekram and the higher ups, along with the current Satans, coming to the decision of making Ishie into a Hero for her kind, or if we go by canon? She's about to become the mighty hero of the Underworld, a terminology that I'll start using since once the Fallen Angels get some more ground in the V3 adaption, I'll reveal some lore that points a clearer difference between it and Hell that I've been vague on showing up to this point.**

**Speaking of the scene with all the higher ups? I've only seen them in stories as evil, or due to the King Pieces, just somewhat malicious due to greed. Then I recalled what Rias said about strength mattering more to Devils, and decided to show it better in this story by showing the higher ups are ultimately good, but have to make decisions under this very concept to avoid their people turning to the Old Satan Faction.**

**Now, before we officially end this chapter? I'd like to let all of you know that we're not immediately diving into the events of V3 in the next chapter. I won't say why just yet, other than it's to let some time pass as a result of how I chose this Rating Game to happen at the end of April, but it isn't until June before everyone can switch into their Summer Uniforms for the Excalibur arc. As such, the next chapter is a small breather before the action starts up again.**

**Until next time everyone, and stay awesome! ^^**


	8. Calm Before the Incoming Storm

**Here we are with the breather/intermission chapter before the Excalibur arc, but before I say anymore? I need to address the concerns of a guest reviewer. I understand what you're talking about, but don't worry, as Ishie isn't actually _getting stronger_ like you believe she is. It's actually the opposite, in that this is how strong she's always been. I can't say anymore since that's related to a later reveal, but I hope that helps clear things up for you.**

**If that still doesn't make sense? Another way to explain it is that it still took everyone to beat Riser, as they all lent Ishie their power for that one moment. She's only considered the strongest member of the Gremory Team due to her Longinus, and if she were to fight Rias and Akeno without it? They'd beat her, as while her magic potential is higher? She still lacks their experience.**

**Anyways, this breather chapter is essentially one thing. Everything else from the first season that hasn't been used in this story. I didn't have the tennis or dodge ball games between Rias, Sona, and their peerages mainly because I had Saji be new enough that Sona wouldn't consider him ready to get a Familiar just yet, which was because of when they debuted in canon being around the Excalibur arc's time. Now that it's a chapter away, this seems like a good time.**

**Katase and Murayama also have yet to see how Ishie's work as a Devil goes, since the Rating Game was a special event, and because there's something I've got in mind that I may mention in Chapter 9. However, said idea is one that I'm not really considering at the moment, but if all of you are interested in it by the time you finish reading this chapter, then I'll decide to share the idea.**

**Even one of the OVA's and one of the specials will be somewhat covered in this chapter, specifically the one focused on Issei and Asia observing the clients the rest of the ORC gets summoned by. I did consider adapting both of them as full chapters when I began the Riser arc's adaption, but I decided not to do this since the Chimera's nature was too specific to canon and the mummy could only somewhat work because of some of scenes he causes.**

**So, with all of that out of the way? Let's get this chapter started!**

**P.S: To the other guest reviewer, the Breast Fairy is someone that serves Chichigami, and was the reason Issei could use Mjolnir in the novels.**

* * *

**[Chapter 8 - Calm Before the Incoming Storm]**

The scene opens to Kuoh Academy, where the month of May had begun, causing the energy tied to the start of the new year to fade away as the students got more into their set routines for the year.

Such a change of flow also applied to the Occult Research Club, where the original members were currently gathered.

"Let's see. We have all the fliers gathered, and the route of delivers for the Familiars should be..." Rias said to herself.

As she was saying this, Ishie walked in alongside Asia and the kendo duo.

"We're here!" She announced.

Hearing her announce her arrival, Rias looked up for a moment and smiled, which is when Ishie noticed she was wearing a pair of glasses.

"Did something happen to your eyes in the Rating Game?" Ishie asked.

"No, I just focus better when I wear them for certain tasks. Devils also don't suffer any problems with their eyes unless they were to lose one since they have perfect vision." Rias explained, taking them off.

"Oh, so... does that mean Sona only wears hers to-" Katase realized.

"Look smart and/or dignified? Yes." Rias answered, nodding her head.

As they said that, Ishie tied putting on Rias' glasses while looking in the mirror, squinting at her reflection as she tried to gauge her look.

"Well, at least it works for her." Ishie stated, putting the glasses down when she couldn't see the charm in wearing them herself.

"Anyways, to get ourselves back on track... where have you been for the last hour? If you were going to be late, then I'd have preferred for you to called me in advance." Rias asked.

Ishie blushed in embarrassment, rubbing the back of her head.

"Eh... well, due to how I kissed Kiba after the game ended, Katase and Murayama said that I owed them... otherwise they'd tell the entire school." She revealed.

"What she owed us was an hour of fun, so we made her take us to the beach." Murayama smirked.

Rias looked at Ishie.

"Let me guess, you took them to my family's private island?" She assumed.

Ishie nodded, giving an embarrassed chuckle as she recalled the memory.

* * *

_The scene opened to an island where a magic circle appeared, showing Ishie, Katase, Murayama, and Asia walking out of it._

_"Wow! Rias' family owns a lot of great stuff!" Katase remarked._

_"I think Ishie becoming a Devil was the best thing that's ever happened to us." Murayama agreed._

_Ishie chuckled at that._

_"Just remember, the deal is just the one hour." She reminded them._

_Laying out a towel, Ishie began laying in the sand as she relaxed._

_"Ishie, shouldn't you be putting on some sunscreen?" Asia asked._

_"No need. From what Rias has told me, Devils don't get sunburned, and they only get tanned skin if they're born that way." She replied._

_Katase squirted her bottle of sunscreen enough it made a splashing sound before becoming a huge glop in her hand._

_"Oh, come on!" She complained._

_Ishie rubbed her head, giving a playful chuckle as her best friends stared at her skin, seeing a newfound jealousy in it._

* * *

Rias tried her best, but she failed to avoid giggling at that story. Akeno quickly joined her and made the kendo duo sigh.

"Nice to see our King and Queen acting their ages for once." Koneko remarked.

"Wait, seriously? It's actually that rare for Rias and Akeno to act like the schoolgirls they really are?" Ishie asked in disbelief, certain Koneko had to be joking.

Kiba looked away in response.

'Holy shit!' She thought.

Realizing that Murayama and Katase were starting to get a little too red, Koneko decided to clear her throat, making everyone look at her.

"Didn't we have some news to tell Ishie?" She recalled, looking at Rias.

"Oh, that's right. I can't believe I almost forgot about that." Rias recalled.

Ishie blinked in surprise, wondering what kind of news this was for Koneko of all people to remind Rias about it, right as the Gremory Heiress pulled out a newspaper labeled as the Evil Chronicles.

"Read this, there's something that might just surprise you." Rias stated.

Wondering what she needed to see, Ishie grabbed it and looked through the pages, eventually gasping as she saw what the news in question was.

"Shocking Newbie rises from the ashes... Rias Gremory's newest servant, the Bishop known as Ishie Hyoudou, earns complete support by Devil Government after taking out veteran player Riser Phenex in his Rating Game against Rias who beat him without losing any of her pieces despite being outnumbered more than 3 to 1... with both Zekram Bael and Roygun Belphegor claiming their desire for her to become the Hero of the Underworld!" She read aloud.

Katase and Murayama quickly placed their heads on the sides of hers, wanting to see everything Ishie just read... except besides a picture of her, all they could see was the unreadable (to them) text of the Devil language.

"Damn it! Why'd you have to get in our way now of all times, you stupid language barrier!" Murayama complained.

"Rias, what does this mean? Is this... is this really legit?" Ishie asked, her eyes shaking as she hoped this was true.

"Completely legit. In the world of Devils, intelligence doesn't matter as much as strength. That was the basically the sole factor for why my brother was named a Satan, and why the Belphegor, Mammon, and Lilith clans earned the right to become part of our eventual Seven Satan system through various feats." Rias explained.

"So, are you saying that-" Katase realized.

"Exactly, this was all because of how a rookie Devil like Ishie managed to not just overcome Riser, but did so using a technique where his ability to regenerate manifested into that phoenix body. Withering it down bit by bit is tricky enough, but in that state?" Rias confirmed.

Katase and Murayama went silent at that, while Asia let out a slight gasp.

"My brother told me even more than that. Truth is, and keep in mind this is only among our clans and those who made the decision, no one besides Riser himself supported our engagement. Aside from making sure no one learned of what I accidentally did, the whole engagement was only accepted due to many who saw merit in a child that was born with my Power of Destruction and his regeneration ability." She continued.

"Both are powerful on their own, but if a Devil actually had both... you'd have someone who could shrug off most attacks while destroying most defenses!" Asia realized.

"Right you are Asia, and that was enough to keep anyone from asking questions. Well, that and a story that me and Riser bonded over the death of his brother, and our Rating Game being the result of his constant victories changing him into someone that wasn't man I _fell in love_ with." Rias verified, using air quotes.

Everyone slightly snickered at that, aside from Ishie, whose face was still frozen in place from the shock as she waited for Rias to finish the scope of her explanation.

"Anyways, Grayfia had told my brother about Ishie due to being the only one he hasn't gotten a chance to properly meet, and part of that had been my mentioning of how I believed she'd have the determination to help us win because of what I said about her becoming a hero." She continued.

Ishie's eyes widened at that.

"That's right. He remembered that, and Zekram had also been watching the Rating Game, so as they began discussing a replacement for my engagement in how the Gremory Family would be able to leave a big influence? He suggested you become an inspiration to all of the younger and reincarnated Devils, with the Phenex Clan and Roygun herself deciding to share support in the decision, and as a result... the newspaper before us was printed." Rias revealed.

A thud was heard as Ishie fell on her butt.

"Hey, Ishie, are you OK?" Katase asked.

"No way... so, you're saying one of my own fantasies, one that you yourself inspired in me... is actually becoming real? All because of how I dealt the checkmate in the Rating Game with Riser!?" She asked, almost yelling and whispering with her tone of voice.

Rias smiled in reply.

"Congratulations, I think you earned it after everything." She praised.

Hearing that, Ishie began crying happy tears.

"Aw man, when you say it like that, now I kind of feel bad for being angry over her kissing Kiba." Murayama sighed.

"We might as well humor it the idea now." Katase decided.

It was at that moment a knock was heard at the door.

"Forgive my interruption, but would this be a bad time? We can come back later." Sona inquired.

"No, you can come in." Rias approved.

Opening the door, the sight of Sona, her Queen, and Saji could be seen as they walked inside.

"Ah! H-Hey there Saji, Prez, and VP." Ishie greeted, all while quickly wiping her tears away.

Sona blinked at the sight, then saw the newspaper.

"Let me guess, you showed her the news?" She assumed.

"Yep." Rias nodded.

"Then allow me to state my congratulations for your achievement. Most reincarnated Devils don't get this kind of fame so quickly after beginning reincarnated." Sona praised.

Ishie blushed and scratched her cheek in response.

"Anyways, now that you've beaten Riser and things have settled down... I believe it's time for our agreement to commence." Sona declared, her glasses briefly shining.

"Agreement? What is she talking about?" Ishie asked.

"While Sona gave Rias advice and strategies to use against Riser, the condition for it was if she won? Both our groups would have a small competition." Saji revealed.

Rias stood up, a confident look on her face as she did, making Ishie sweat as she looked at her.

"So, the usual stakes?" She asked.

"Of course, and do you have a theme for our contest in mind?" Sona inquired.

"The good old-fashioned high school way... with sports!" Rias announced.

Katase and Murayama blinked at that.

"All that build up... just to say that?" Murayama questioned, feeling a little flabbergasted.

"They probably get it from their parents, just like their older siblings." Koneko replied.

"That reply seemed... specific." Katase remarked.

"It should be, because not only are Rias and Sona old friend and great rivals, but both of them have an older sibling who earned the mantle of Satan." Kiba revealed.

Both of them, Ishie, and Asia gasped.

"Sona, is that true!?" Saji questioned.

"It is. My older sister is the current Leviathan, a title she earned due to facing the daughter of Leviathan, Tsufaame, during the Civil War." She confirmed.

They all gasped against, though this time Saji replaced Ishie, who simply thought to herself.

'Rias told me her potential's similar to her brother, which means Sona must have similar potential to her sister! I guess that means she and Rias basically run Kuoh Town as a team.' She realized.

As that thought finished, Sona looked at her Queen.

"Tsubaki, tell the others to start preparing." She requested.

Ishie looked at Tsubaki, realizing that before now, she hadn't paid much attention to her... or the rest of the Student Council besides Sona and Saji.

She was a young woman with long straight black hair that extended all the way down to her knees and had split bangs and light brown eyes. She also wore glasses like Sona, though hers were blue and semi-rimmed with square lenses.

"At once Sona." Tsubaki replied.

She walked out of the room, right as Sona and Rias gave another friendly rival glance to one another.

"Hope you're ready for this." Sona said with confidence.

"I am, let's hope you can back up that talk." Rias replied.

Sona gave a slightly chuckle before walking of the room as well, with Saji following her, though before he fully left the room? He rushed back and suddenly gave Kiba's hand a tight squeeze.

"Heads up, if you think you've got Ishie's heart on lock down? Just know you aren't the only bull in this rodeo anymore!" He announced.

Ishie's face turned redder than a tomato, causing her to cover her mouth with her hands, knowing _exactly_ what those words meant.

'I'm so glad that one girl isn't here!' She thought.

"Uh... OK?" Kiba replied, a sweat drop on his face.

Kiba finally felt Saji let go of his hand and exit the room, which is when Katase and Murayama suddenly hugged each other, losing themselves in a fit of laughter.

"Why are you two laughing?" He asked nervously.

"Easy lover boy, because you just got caught in a love triangle for Ishie's heart." Koneko revealed.

He let out a confused noise as Rias pat his back, knowing it mattered more than words right now.

"Come everyone, let's draw for who does the first two events. Oh, and for Katase, Murayama, and Asia? Since Sona's peerage is larger, you'll join in on this." Akeno decided.

"No problem, sports are fun." Katase replied.

She brought out two bowls, and placed slips of paper in both. One bowl had a Tennis symbol on it and a single paper with a red dot, while the other had a dodge ball symbol, and had five papers with red dots on them.

They all put their hands in, and aside from the last game that would include all of them? The players for each sport were decided.

* * *

Once school ended, a few posters mentioning a sports contest between the Student Council and Occult Research Club had been posted around, and the scene focused onto the Tennis field where Ishie could be seen stretching.

Rather than a Gym uniform, she was wearing a custom Tennis uniform. It was many shades of blue, mostly light blue, with a short skirt of normal blue, with white socks that reached to halfway up her lower legs. Her choice of Tennis racket was also a long, single handed racket with a blue frame, and had the Gremory symbol placed on its wiring.

"I'm impressed how quickly she made that outfit, even with her magic helping her." Akeno praised.

"Considering her designs our Rating Game uniforms, I'm not that surprised." Rias remarked.

Standing across from her was one Sona's Bishops first Bishop, Momo Hanakai, who was a young beautiful girl with white hair and blue-green eyes. She was also wearing a regular Tennis outfit on in comparison.

"Are you ready Momo?" Ishie questioned, holding the ball to serve.

"May the best Bishop win!" She answered, readying for a swing.

"Then here we go!" Ishie exclaimed.

Throwing the ball up, she swung down and sent it flying with a loud shout, prompting Momo to rush towards it and hit it back. Ishie quickly did the same, truly setting up the heat between the two Devil Bishops as they refused to give the other gain any ground.

"Oh man, Tennis balls aren't the only thing bouncing today!" Matsuda exclaimed, looking through a pair of binoculars.

"Look at those boobs bounce!" Motohama smiled.

Saji jumped in surprise, seeing them and hundreds of students both male and female surrounding the Tennis cage, which quickly caught the attention of both peerages.

"Pantie shot!" The boys shouted.

Both girls blushed at that remark, but ignored it as they continued without losing any focus.

"Wow, I don't think I've ever seen this many people at a Tennis Match, at least with someone other than Rias or Sona on the field." Kiba noticed.

"I get the feeling most of the people aren't here to watch the game, which seems to be saying a lot about Ishie's reputation as of now." Koneko replied.

Momo served a strike to the ball.

"Give her hell Momo!" The girls shouted.

Ishie managed to just barely hit the ball back, feeling sweat fly off her face.

"Ishie, you are the tits!" The boys screamed.

"Fact established and acknowledged..." Koneko sighed, realizing the boys had just marked her as good girlfriend material.

Momo saw her opening and hid a magic circle on her racket.

"Let's see how you like a magic attack, Sitri style!" She replied.

"No way, you're not getting past the Gremory counter strike!" Ishie replied, readying to hit it back.

As the ball hit the ground, it curved unnaturally opposite to where she expected it.

Seeing the magic signature it left behind for a brief moment, Ishie gasped as Momo smirked. On the referee chair, the sight of a girl with light blue hair tied in twin tails held by black ribbons could be seen, being an Undine that was also Sona's Familiar.

"One point to Momo!" She announced.

Rias glanced at Sona with a deadpan look.

"Didn't we agree to there being no magic used for either side" She questioned, tapping her foot.

"I did, but I guess the competition got to her." Sona apologized.

"Then I guess we'll have to just kiss the rule book goodbye." Rias sighed, realizing there were too many people around for them to call out any magical fouls.

Koneko nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, plus Ishie's about to bring the smack down." She remarked.

"Alright Momo, if you want this to be a magic show, then it's time I start showing you my own magic tricks." Ishie announced.

She put some magic into her racket as she served the ball again, and... it hit the net. She paled at the sight as everyone winced.

'Though I may have jinxed her by saying that...' Koneko realized.

"Maybe you should practice using your magic at a small scale than the big blasts you like to throw around." Momo suggested.

The game kept going until finally...

"Game over, the winner is Momo!" Sona's Familiar announced.

Ishie slipped onto her knees in embarrassment, lowering her head.

"I messed up..." She said.

Akeno walked up to her, rubbing her back as she saw her kouhai starting to tear up.

"Don't feel too bad. You just need to practice smaller magic." She reassured her.

"We have to restore Ishie's honor, so come on Occult Research Club! Let's make sure we win the next two games!" Rias announced.

Everyone nodded.

"Yeah, for her pride!" Katase announced.

"For her dignity!" Murayama announced.

"For her... uh, does anyone know what words fit this situation?" Asia tried to announce, with little success.

Ishie sniffled as she heard them.

"Thanks for all the support." She replied, looking at them with misty eyes.

* * *

All the students began cheering as the field moved to the outdoor dodge ball area.

On Rias' side, the chosen players were shown to be Ishie, Koneko, Murayama, Katase and Kiba; whereas for Sona, it was Tsubaki, Saji, her second Bishop, her Rook, and her other Pawn.

Her second Bishop's name was Reya Kusaka, who was a slim girl with long brown hair that ends in two short braids with matching eyes, wearing a blue headband on her head. Like most of Sona's peerage, she had supernatural connections, with her grandmother being a witch that led her to studying magic to becoming a magician.

Her Knight's name was Tomoe Meguri, who was a beautiful girl with shoulder-length, reddish-brown hair and brown eyes. Her hair features swept bangs and a single strand of hair sticking out from the top. She hailed from a famous clan of Exorcists that hunted stray demons, and had been cursed since birth by one until Sona reincarnated her.

Her Rooks name was Tsubasa Yura, who was a tall girl with blue, shoulder-length hair and matching eyes. She has the basic appearance of a tomboy, having a bishounen face. She had been able to see and touch supernatural phenomena all her life, and joined Sona when she lacked the strength fight, much less defeat the stronger ones.

Finally, her other Pawn's name was Ruruko Nimura, who was the girl Ishie remembered from the day Rassei became her familiar.

More specifically, she was a short girl with brown hair in long twin ponytails and green eyes. She wears a pair of green clips in her hair, and while they were off right now, she also wore striped green stockings. Unlike the rest of her peerage, even Saji, she had been the only one to have no supernatural connections, having requested to join Sona.

"Oh boy..." Ishie realized, sweating as she saw her.

Ruruko glared at Ishie, as if hoping to set her on fire.

"Ruruko, whatever jealousy you have for her? Please put it away while for these next two games." Tsubaki warned.

She flinched at that.

"R-Right, I'll focus." She promised, knowing what would happen otherwise.

Ishie blinked in surprise.

"In case you're wondering? Unlike Rias, the punishments that Sona gives her peerage can be a little... draconian." Akeno warned.

"Yikes, now I feel bad for her." She replied.

Sona's Familiar soon blew the starting whistle.

Rushing ahead, it was Tsubasa who got the ball first, putting the Gremory Team on the defensive.

"Eat this!" She shouted.

The ball shot towards Koneko, who tried to bend to avoid it, only to fall over as it tapped her nose.

"That's an out!" Sona's Familiar announced, holding a flag up.

"Aw man, and right at the start!" Ishie remarked.

"I need a drink anyways, but one of you better catch that ball." Koneko replied.

Everyone began cheering as they watched the ball fly back and forth across the field.

Reeling her arm back Tsubaki went for a magically charged spike that neared Ishie, but she smirked as she held her hands out and caught it using her magic to cushion the impact.

"You're out!" Sona's Familiar announced.

"Nice one." Koneko replied, running back in.

Ishie smirked as she threw the ball forward, and Tomoe got into position to catch it.

"Don't worry, I've got-" She shouted.

"Tomoe, look out!" Reya warned.

Ishie's eyes glowed as the ball sped ahead enough to not raise any eyes, making Tomoe's eyes widen before it hit her dead on and knocked her down.

"Hey look, I see cute duckies..." She mumbled, her eyes spinning as she saw hallucinations around her head.

"Nice one!" Katase cheered.

Suddenly, Reya threw the ball at her backside, making her pale as it hit.

"You're out!" Sona's Familiar shouted.

"Aw man..." She sighed.

More back and forth continued until the sky started to turn orange as the sunset neared. As the game neared its end, it was only Ishie, Koneko, and Kiba on the Gremory side, while Ruruko, Saji, and Tsubasa on the Sitri side.

Just as everyone prepared to continue, the sound of a familiar whistle could be heard.

"Time's up! Since this is a draw, we'll be entering sudden death! First team to score an out wins the game!" Sona's Familiar announced.

"Alright, then. Here! I! go!" Ishie announced.

She threw the ball forward, imbuing some magic to give it a curve. Ruruko and Tsubasa prepared to catch it...

However, it passed them and homed onto Saji, hitting him right in his kiwis! Everyone flinched as he screamed.

"I thought that... you could only do this... in cartoons!" He winced, falling down.

"Oh god, I'm so sorry! I don't know how that happened!" Ishie apologized.

She rushed right over alongside Ruruko, who glared at her, though Ishie wasn't having any of it as she grabbed her shoulders.

"Oh no, you are _not_ giving me that right now! What you will give me is a hand carrying him to the nurse's office!" She stated.

Ruruko flinched at that, looking to the side for a moment.

"R-Right... I'll get his legs." She replied, realizing she was right.

Ishie nodded and grabbed his shoulders, and both of them began carrying him to the nurse, with everyone (even the boys) watching him and hoping he'd be alright.

"Wait, couldn't Asia or someone else have healed him?" Murayama asked.

"That's not something you can heal with any kind of magic..." Rias replied.

Murayama didn't ask any further.

* * *

In the nurse's office, Saji was seen lying in the bed, apparently sleeping as a bag of ice laid over the part of his blanket where his crown jewels were.

"Akeno's right, I need to practice more on the small stuff." She admitted.

Ruruko didn't say anything, just looking at him and starting to feel guilty.

"You like him, don't you?" Ishie asked, deciding to break the ice.

"Eh!?" Ruruko exclaimed.

Ruruko backed away from the bed and blushed as she heard Ishie say that, which was all she needed for her answer.

"And I bet that's been the whole reason you've been giving me such a stink eye, hasn't it?" Ishie realized, looking away.

She clenched her fists at that.

"Why... why is it that he looks at everyone girl besides me? First he was into Sona, but she made it clear they would never happen, and just when I thought he might finally notice me? He had to meet you, and unlike Sona you didn't shoot him down at all!" Ruruko demanded, crying as she did.

Ishie didn't say anything, but now it was clear what was going on.

"I won't lie, you're right. I didn't do anything to shoot him down even though I'm currently more interested in Kiba, and the simple reason is after what Rias told me a while back... I've figured that his feelings are ones I should also consider, even if nothing were to happen between us." She agreed, closing her eyes.

Ruruko was surprised by that.

"The only difference is so many girls have crushes on Kiba, whereas I'm certain how you feel for Saji is genuine, but at the same time? Since you claim that you hoped he'd begin to notice you... then doesn't that mean he has no idea you like him?" Ishie inquired.

"Uh, I... well..." Ruruko replied, glancing to the side as she looked down.

Confirming her suspicions, Ishie walked over to her and put a hand on her shoulder, getting her attention.

"Look, I don't want to fight over Saji, especially if it's not guaranteed that we'll end up together. If anything, I should be happy knowing that there's someone else who likes him. That way, if he's not the one I end up with, I won't have to feel guilty because I know someone else who wants to be with him." She replied.

Ruruko's eyes widen as she heard that, prompting Ishie to close her eyes and flash her a toothy grin.

"All this time, I've been treating you so badly, and then you say that to me? That's... that's not fair." She replied, tearing up slightly.

Ishie panicked at that.

"No, don't cry! I didn't mean to make you do that!" She begged.

"Gotcha!" Ruruko suddenly shouted.

Ishie stared as she saw Ruruko giggling at her, making her suddenly notice a slight draft below her... right as Ruruko held up her gym shorts. Ishie screamed as she covered her panties with her hands, followed by her face turning redder than a tomato.

"Why'd you do that!" She questioned.

"Sorry, but... I had to get even with you just this once." Ruruko apologized, quickly returning them.

Ishie quickly dived behind the curtain to put her shorts back on, and after she came back out... she and Ruruko both found themselves laughing over the whole thing.

"I need to apologize for everything, it wasn't far for me to treat you that way, especially when you're my senpai." Ruruko apologized again.

"Don't worry, it's alright. Guess I wasn't completely considering your own feelings since I was just letting the motions carry me back then." Ishie replied, also apologizing.

She held her hand out, which Ruruko took, deciding to finally bury the hatchet.

"You stay with Saji for a moment, I'm going to let everyone know he's OK and see how this effects the last game." Ruruko stated.

"You sure?" Ishie asked.

"It's fine. Besides, I know I'm a lot faster than you, no offense." Ruruko replied.

"None taken, since I did see proof during the dodge ball game." Ishie admitted.

With that, Ruruko ran off, and once Ishie realized she was out of earshot... she poked Saji on the forehead with a deadpan look on her face.

"How long are you going to fake being unconscious?" She inquired.

Saji's eyes opened in surprise, sweating as he saw Ishie looking at him.

"H-How long did you know that I was awake?" Saji asked, sweating nervously as he tried and failed to look away.

"The whole time. As we carried you to the nurse, I noticed your body felt too tense to be asleep." She revealed.

Saji gave a confused look.

"Don't ask me how I know that, it's... personal." Ishie replied, looking away.

He looked away in shame, while Ishie took a deep breath.

"You should really consider how she feels. I may not know why, but Ruruko clearly knows how she feels, and you'll just hurt her more if you know that and act like you don't." She stated.

"I..." Saji replied, looking uncertain.

"And in my honest opinion? She's a better match for you than I am. Especially since being in the council means you know her better than me. Besides, you already know that I kissed Kiba... so it's probably better you give up on someone further from your reach when there's no guarantee they do or will like you." Ishie continued, slowly tearing up.

Before Saji could say anything, Ishie walked out of the room and silently cried.

'Stay strong Ishie, this is for the best! Don't regret it now or it'll become meaningless!' She told herself, wiping her tears away.

She let it out for a while, managing to stop them as Ruruko came back.

"I let them know Saji's OK, but they decided to postpone the Baseball match until the Ball Festival next month." She revealed.

"I see, then I better get back to the ORC and prepare for work. I'll tell Rias to let Sona know you're staying with Saji." Ishie replied.

Ruruko looked confused by her words as she watched Ishie walk off.

"Consider it my way of giving you a proper apology." She replied, hoping she didn't see through her lie.

Taking a deep breath, she resumed her walk back to the ORC.

* * *

A day later, the scene opened up to the old school building, with everyone besides Ishie currently inside.

Her absence was quickly explained as a summoning circle formed in the center of the room and showed Ishie appearing from it, having just completed another successful contract.

"That's another contract down." She smiled.

Katase looked at her, then realized something.

"Say, what exactly are these Devil contracts all about? The only thing I know about them is they don't involve souls." Katase inquired.

"Now that you mention it... yeah, that's the only thing Ishie's really told us about them since we weren't interested." Murayama replied.

Rias looked at Ishie, who shrugged.

"I only brought up the subject once when I offered them a flier, and dropped it when they didn't take it." She replied.

Rias soon put a finger to her chin.

"You do already know about us, so perhaps knowing how we work may be more beneficial in the long run, regardless if you'll actually use any fliers to summon anyone from my or Sona's peerages." She thought aloud.

"If it helps, all of us have summons tonight, so perhaps Katase and Murayama could join us and observe how they work?" Akeno suggested.

Taking a little longer to think on it, Rias soon smiled.

"Katase? Murayama? I'd like you to join Koneko, Kiba, and Akeno during their summons tonight." She requested.

This surprised the duo.

"Is that really alright?" Murayama asked.

"As long as don't bother the client, and only interfere if you're given permission to do so, then things should be alright." Rias replied.

Ishie walked over to the two.

"Don't worry. Even if some clients might seem odd, they're pretty chill... even if only because they're afraid of what a Devil might do should they try anything funny." She reassured them.

Their eyes widened, only to see Ishie giggling shortly afterwards.

"I'm kidding!" Ishie revealed.

"Not funny!" Katase exclaimed.

Seeing it was time for her summon, Koneko formed a magic circle that got their attention.

"You two coming?" She asked.

Looking at her for a moment, both of them eventually decided to just go along with everything and walked into the circle, feeling themselves getting transported to the home of her client.

* * *

Inside the upper half of a two-story apartment complex, a middle-aged man with shoulder length brunette hair and glasses was watching the flier as it brought the trio into his room. Noticing Katase and Murayama, he was confused.

"Hmm? Am I seeing things, or did I get some kind of special flier?" He asked, looking back and forth at the two.

Katase rubbed her head in response.

"Don't mind us, we're just uh... we're new Devils, and because of that fact we've been asked to obverse the summons of our kin tonight!" She lied, hoping it was believable.

"What she said." Koneko remarked, deciding to play along with it.

The man nodded in understanding, blushing slightly at their beauty.

"Ah, so you two are new to the job? I understand." He replied.

"Now, for proper introductions? This is Morisawa, a usual client of mine." Koneko revealed.

"By that, I assume you mean he summons you regularly?" Murayama inquired.

She nodded her head.

"So, what do you usually call her in for?" Katase asked.

"I'm glad you asked." Morisawa replied.

He suddenly pulled out a young schoolgirl outfit, which fit perfectly with the younger body Koneko preferred to be in.

"Cosplay! Save the princess!" He revealed.

"Wait, seriously!?" Katase questioned.

"Damn straight! I like it when a cute young thing sweeps me off my feet on a weekly basis, but unless I wanna grab one off the street and likely get arrested for it?" Morisawa answered.

"Yeah, guess summoning a Devil for that is the smarter option." Katase admitted.

"Yeah, and it isn't that weird for him to pretend to save... wait." Murayama mentioned.

Murayama suddenly realized his choice of words.

"Wait, she's saving you!?" She asked, having an imagine spot with her holding him in a princess carry.

"I am strong enough for it, and that's just when he's asking me for something of my younger form. I'll say nothing more than I basically become a cosplay model." Koneko added.

Both girls felt themselves go silent as a sweat drop formed on their respective cheeks.

"However, tonight I've called her here for another reason." He revealed, adjusting his glasses.

They flashed as he pulled out a game.

"I, the one known to the arcades as Mori, a player who transcends tier listings... challenge you to a one round battle in Hyper Road Warrior 4!" Morisawa announced.

"Game on." Koneko replied.

Quickly setting up the game, Murayama and Katase watched as they each picked their characters, and in just 5 seconds... Koneko had won the match with just a single combo using her Nekomata reflexes.

"Impossible!" He announced, staring at the screen in shock.

"Your reaction time is too slow." She stated.

"Never thought I'd say anything like this, but now we know who'd win in a video game challenge between a man and an intelligent cat." Katase remarked.

Koneko turned around and flashed the two a peace sign.

* * *

Joining Kiba on his summon, the duo found themselves blushing as they stood in the home of a sexy businesswoman.

'I regret this already!' They both thought.

"Long time no see Mika, is your business doing well?" Kiba greeted.

"Yeah, it's doing great." She confirmed.

Kiba motioned to his guests, causing them to briefly straighten up as they formed poker faces to hide their jealousy over Kiba being in the house of such a beautiful lady.

"Two new Devils are here with me today to observe, I hope you don't mind." He explained.

"Not at all." She replied.

Mika stood up from her couch, moving her legs in a sexy way as she.

"Kiba, can you do the usual?" She asked, removing her business coat.

'The usual!?' The girls thought.

Both of their minds went into overload as they considered that Kiba might be doing something that didn't fit his public image at school.

"Of course, do you have the ingredients?" Kiba asked in response.

"Right over there." Mika answered, pointing to the nearby table.

After hearing that answer, the two suddenly paused and looked at a dinner table, seeing some groceries.

"I'll be taking a nap now, wake me when it's ready." She stated, falling onto the side moments after.

Both of them stored in surprise.

"Wow, she looks exhausted." Murayama realized, already hearing her breathe in her sleep.

"Whenever Mika's tired from work, she summons me to cook her supper." Kiba revealed.

He turned the lights on and grabbed the ingredients.

"Oh, could one of you grab the blanket at place it over her?" He requested.

"Got it." Katase replied.

She placed it over Mika's sleeping form, with the two looking at Kiba as he cooked.

"Think we know how Kiba became such a gentleman now." Murayama whispered.

"Aside from Rias being a noble that is." Katase whispered back.

Kiba wiped his forehead as he finished cooking, revealing a tray full of udon, placing it on the table near the couch. Katase and Murayama barely found the willpower not to taste the food, just barely managing to succeed as he lightly shook Mika awake.

* * *

Finally, they were summoned to the office for a president of a big business with Akeno, and just arriving made the two feel uncomfortable.

"Thank you for coming Akeno." He greeted.

"Hello president, what can I do for you today?" Akeno greeted.

He closed his eyes.

"It seems I must ask you for... _that favor_, again." He answered.

Katase and Murayama flinched once they heard him say that.

"As you wish." She replied.

The kendo duo began shaking as they leaned towards each other, a strong sense of fear in their veins.

"This guy runs a big company, and Akeno's the second-in-command of Rias, so... what do you think this favor he's talking about could be?" Katase asked.

"Rias said that they don't pay in souls, but due to what happened with them saving Asia, I wonder if one reasonable request is... assassination." Murayama answered, feeling herself gulp slightly.

Katase paled at that thought, and watched as Akeno got closer, making them close their eyes.

*"CRACK!"*

Both of them felt their eyes widen as the president screamed, but to their surprise? It was just the sound of a normal bone popping as Akeno massaged his feet.

"R-Right there!" He winced.

"A massage?" Katase asked.

"This poor guy gets stressed so easily from his job that every once in a while, I have to give him a foot massage to diffuse it all, and he _really_ lets it build up to the point it's incredibly painful to get it all out." Akeno explained.

They heard him shout as another bone popped from the work of her fingers, making them wince slightly.

"You know, if I remember right, doesn't Ishie's dad work in this kind of field?" Murayama recalled.

"Yeah, but unlike this guy, Ishie's mom likely helps him get rid of that stress before it gets this far. Guess this is why they warn people to avoid overworking." Katase replied.

Another scream left the president's mouth as another bone popping could be heard.

* * *

Back in the old school building, Katase and Murayama were seen drinking tea alongside Ishie, with Kiba and Koneko playing a baseball game as Asia watched, Akeno currently in another room, and Rias sitting on the couch opposite to the one the trio was sitting on.

"I'm kind of surprised at what we saw. All of the stuff your clients asked for seemed like simple requests, all for the price of a contract." Katase remarked.

"Which is the one part we still don't get." Murayama mentioned.

"That's fairly simple. Every contract we make helps promote our reputation and influence, so a contract represents how competent a certain peerage is, which gives them the power to do more." Rias explained.

"Ah, so it's not unlike how people's reviews of a movie influences how much money it makes by convincing more people to see it." Murayama realized.

"Yes, that would be a fair comparison." Rias confirmed.

Murayama took a sip of her tea as Katase looked at Ishie.

"Say, what kind of clients do you get? Koneko seems to usually get male clients, Kiba's are often female, and Akeno's are big names." She asked.

"Me? I guess quirky, silly, and unique people are the ones who I'm usually summoned by." Ishie answered.

"Uh... define what you mean by quirky, silly, and unique?" Katase inquired.

"Well, one of my usual clients is a girl who wears samurai armor named Susan, due to her being a foreign exchange student who's scared of everything at night. Oh, and she also has a boyfriend who wears knight armor." She explained.

Katase and Murayama stared at her and dropped their teacups, barely able to believe what she just said.

Rassei quickly opened his mouth to swallow both spills while his wings caught the falling teacups.

"She's right, here's a photo of them." Rias confirmed.

Taking out the picture, a girl in samurai armor (identified to the blonde curls being seen) and a boy wearing knight armor were flashing peace signs as the sun began setting behind them.

"OK, that's... definitely different." Murayama remarked, accepting Ishie's explanation.

"Although, since they brought that up... Rias, what contracts does your Pawn do?" Ishie asked.

That surprised the duo.

"Wait, you have another servant?" Murayama asked.

Ishie gasped and covered her mouth, while Rias giggled.

"Don't worry, it isn't like he's some kind of forbidden secret you can't ever talk about. I only don't mention him since it's a weird topic to bring up." She reassured her.

Ishie sighed in relief.

"As for your question? I do, but my brother had me seal him away because he was too powerful." Rias revealed.

"How powerful exactly?" Katase asked.

"Out of my servants, he's the only one who was strong enough when I reincarnated him to need multiple Evil Pieces. Strong enough that he needed a total of... 8 Pawns." She revealed.

Ishie spit out her tea in surprise, with Rias dodging the spray before she could even release it.

"He took all of them? Then, that would mean he's just slightly weaker than Akeno!" She exclaimed.

"That's right, my third strongest servant behind you and Akeno, but I won't give much more details unless my brother changes my mind. I'd rather he be with us if you're to learn everything about him." Rias replied.

"OK then, can we at least know where he's sealed, and the answer to my contract question?" Ishie asked.

"To answer the latter? His clients are people who aren't good at talking to people, as he's the same, and uses a computer to make his contracts. That's the good side of him being sealed away. As for where, well... have you seen that one door?" Rias answered.

The trio gasped as they recalled that one door Rias quickly told them to avoid touching, one that was dirtied and covered with yellow tape saying **_KEEP OUT_** all over it.

"Whoa, so he's in _that_ room?" Ishie realized.

"My brother figured it was best to keep him close, just in case." She replied.

Ishie nodded, interested in meeting this Pawn one day.

As the talk about the unknown Pawn finished up, Akeno walked into the room, clearing her throat.

"President, I just got word that Pr. Nishiura has requested a summon from you." She announced.

This caught everyone's attention.

"Wait, did I just hear you right? Someone actually summoned Rias!?" Ishie asked in shock.

"Is it really that big a surprise?" Asia asked.

"It is. Because I'm the heir of a noble family, the kind of requests that I can be given are limited, so I'm usually lucky if I get one per every month in the year." Rias explained.

"Whoa... no wonder I've never seen it before now." Ishie realized.

Rias smiled as she stood up.

"Considering how rare of an occasion this is, and how Katase and Murayama have already seen a few summons today... why don't all of you join me?" She suggested.

"I'm in!" Ishie shouted, immediately raising a hand.

Rias giggled, having expected her to react like that.

* * *

Everyone soon found themselves in a museum's Egyptian exhibits, making Asia look around in confusion.

"Where are we?" She asked.

"This is a museum, a place where people display ancient artifacts for others to look at and enjoy because of how it lets us learn about the past." Ishie answered.

Her eyes had her pupils replaced by yellow four-pointed stars.

"For someone who loves fantasies and stories, this kind of place is basically a Heaven for Ishie." Murayama whispered, giggling as she did.

Someone soon walked into view.

"There you are Rias, glad you could come." He greeted.

"Good day Professor." She replied.

Rias turned to everyone, motioning her hand to the man before them for those who didn't know about him.

"This is Professor Nishiura, he's a researcher who studies ancient history and possible supernatural links to them." Rias explained.

"So, your contracts are to investigate anything dangerous to a regular human?" Ishie asked.

"Yes, although sometimes it's to deal with a monster besides a stray that may be targeting my client." She confirmed.

She turned back to the professor.

"So, what kind of item is the issue this time?" Rias asked.

"Follow me." Nishiura replied.

Everyone did, being led behind some of the walls to reveal a room housing a large black sarcophagus with golden hieroglyphs on it.

"Wow, an actual sarcophagus!" Ishie exclaimed.

"Though why is it black with gold? Aren't they supposed to be gold with black carvings to honor the pharaohs, or something like that?" Katase asked.

"That's related to the problem... it seems this Sarcophagus some kind of curse." Nishiura explained.

Everyone gasped, while Asia moved behind Ishie.

"Not to worry, it only curses those who touch it, and strangely enough it only seems to affect male adults. I'm the only one here that could be affected by it." He reassured everyone.

"That seems oddly specific..." Koneko remarked, glaring at the mummy that was likely inside of it.

Ishie soon walked around it, looking at the hieroglyphs as if to find some kind of clue to its curse.

"We do have one clue to why this curse may be in place, but it's incredibly vague. It seems that this sarcophagus lacks a pharaoh inside of it." Nishiura revealed.

"Meaning the curse may be a prison." Rias realized.

"Hey Rias, there's a symbol here that I don't think is a hieroglyph." Ishie mentioned.

Hearing this, she got a closer look.

"Really? Which one is it?" She asked.

"This one." Ishie replied, pointing towards the upper center of the sarcophagus.

Looking at it, Rias gasped as she saw a heart-like symbol with Devil wings, small feet at the bottom, and a V-shaped crest or crown over a supposed head. It was a symbol she was all too familiar with.

"You're right Ishie, that symbol isn't a hieroglyph... it's the crest of a Devil Clan." She replied.

Everyone gasped at that.

"Whoa, so this was a Devil's work? Which clan was it?" Ishie asked.

"None, because this clan didn't exist until long after Ancient Egypt came to an end. It's the symbol the Lucifuge Clan inherited from Lilith once they took their current name." Rias answered.

"As in... this is something the former Devil Queen herself created?" Ishie gasped, staring at it.

As she did this, Ishie failed to see she had put her hand on part of the Sarcophagus, making it glow.

"Uh... what's happening!?"She panicked.

"It must be set to open if a female Devil touches it!" Nishiura realized.

And opened it did, revealing a mummy inside... and opened his eyes.

"Everyone, be careful!" Rias warned.

She and Ishie moved away, only for the mummy to get up and focus on Ishie, instinctively realizing she had awakened it.

Its eyes glowed red, and Ishie suddenly began shaking as if something was trying to rip her soul out, making everyone gasp.

"Ishie!" Rias shouted worriedly.

However, the shaking soon stopped as the mummy's eyes widened, then suddenly turned to dust before it fell back into the sarcophagus. Ishie let out deep breaths, hugging herself due to the slight shock over the experience.

"I think that mummy... just tried to... steal my body!" Ishie breathed, sweating slightly.

"Are you alright?" Rias asked, concerned for her yet glad she was safe.

"Yeah, it might sound crazy, but... I think the White Dragon protected me once it sensed the mummy's soul and destroyed it." Ishie replied, looking at her back.

Rias looked at the mummy, being careful not to get too close, and soon determined it was completely dead.

"Looks like it, which means the curse on it should have died with it." Rias stated, looking at Nishiura.

"I'm glad, though I apologize over your servant getting caught in that." He replied, apologizing for the whole incident.

"Don't worry, I chose to bring her with me, so the fault is mostly mine." Rias reassured him.

Ishie took a deep breath.

"I'd like to go home now, and... take a nice long bath. My whole body feels like its covered in decay after that experience." She begged.

Everyone was quick to agree with her request.

* * *

_Ishie found herself in a place that looked to be made by multiple lines of white energy ebbing out, leaving her confusion as was floating through it without the ability to move her body._

_"This seems eerily familiar for some reason." She realized._

**_("Of course it is. This isn't the first time we've met in this place, though last time it was under the strange landscape of your one dream.")_**_ Someone replied._

_Her eyes widened at that._

_"Hey, you're that strange voice from that time!" Ishie recalled._

_The same silhouette revealed itself, making her stop in place._

**_("Is that all you can remember about me? Perhaps I have to get used to those quirks, considering the stuff that goes through your head at least half of the time.")_**_ He remarked._

_Ishie was confused, trying to recall anything else._

_"Wait, didn't Rias say you might be-" She recalled._

_At that moment, the silhouette's body came into review as he roared, revealing itself as a giant white Western Dragon with blue eyes and two gold horns, with a bunch of fur covering his scales._

_Just as Ishie was about to say something, everything suddenly vanished into black._

* * *

Ishie felt herself gasp as she woke up, looking around as saw nothing but her room and herself wearing pink pajamas, leaving her to quickly calm down. As she did, a faint blue glow was shown on her right hand.

As she raised it to wipe the sweat off her forehead, the glow disappeared, with her unaware if was ever there.

"That couldn't have just been a dream... the White Dragon, he tried speaking with me again." She realized.

She quickly manifested her Sacred Gear, trying to see if anything would happen. It wasn't until about five minutes passed that she finally gave up and laid back on her bed.

"Guess I need to let it happen naturally." Ishie told herself.

She closed her eyes and went back to sleep, drifting off fast enough that she slept through a loud scream from outside.

The sight outside quickly showed itself to be a priest trying to run away from Freed Sellzen, who quickly caught him.

* * *

**We've finally covered everything left in S1 that wasn't too specific to Issei's character, so as of next chapter, we're finally entering the Excalibur arc! This chapter also helped set up a few things, with Rias talking a bit about Gasper so he's not as out of nowhere, Ishie deciding not to pursue Saji any further, and learning that Sona is a bit stronger than in canon. Like with the ORC, the Student Council has their strength as of later volumes.**

**I bet no one expected for Saji to be eliminated from the running so early, and truth be told? He was going to be in the running for a little longer... though I decided a while back he wasn't going to be the winner after Shin DxD V3 came out. I'm not sure who hasn't seen it or at least heard the summary of events, so I'll only say one of them made me decide to pair Saji and Ruruko in this story.**

**Also, this chapter showed a bit more on where Ishie's lack of experience manifests with her overall strength. Because of her fight with Raynare and how she trained for the Rating Game with Riser? She's too used to unleashing magic in huge blasts with more power than she actually needs, and currently struggles when she uses it on a smaller scale or in a more controlled form like Momo did.**

**Anyways, I hope you enjoyed everything up until now, because there's going to be some other noticeable changes that you'll start to see as of the Excalibur arc, and the next chapter alone is going to bring in some big ones that show while this story is still closely following canon? This is where such changes will finally become more noticeable. You might just even see something that connects to why Lilith's crest was on that sarcophagus.**

**Until next time everyone, and stay awesome! ^^**


	9. Angelic Reunion

**This is it... we're finally starting the Excalibur arc. I hope everyone's ready, because this arc and the Summit arc will be so big, I can easily say right now they'll likely be some of the important if not _the_ most important arcs of this entire story. I'd say more, but that would give away too many hints. Anyways, before I say anything else? No one was interested in the idea I mentioned in Ch 8, so I won't be using sharing or using it.**

**Also, I got this question via PM and felt it was something that could be answered here for everyone. The question was if the Angels will gain something like the Seven Satan system in this story. My answer to that is they will, as initially the Brave Saints are currently only shown to be used by Seven Angels, who will eventually gain the rank of Great Seraph once the Three Great Powers are allies. There's more, but I'll talk about it after this happens.**

**Now, getting back to this chapter's start notes. As we're jumping forward a month to get everyone in their Summer uniforms, Ishie's beginning the chapter with a small diary entry to help mark any small changes that have happened during the month, which I feel helps show their momentary peace comes to an abrupt end as a dark echo to the warning that was Raynare's last words.**

**One last thing before we start is said month means Ishie's had some time to somewhat overcome her weak spots with magic, but not enough to remove the problem altogether. Me mentioning this might seem out of nowhere, but I'll say this is something you should keep in mind for the whole adaption of Season 2's volumes, and that's all I can vaguely hint at without making the hint stop being vague as a result.**

**So, with that all said? Let's get this chapter started!**

* * *

**[Chapter 9 - Angelic Reunion]**

The scene opened to the deep of night, where three figures wearing hoods ran through the ran before stopping at the abandoned church. Once inside, a big burst of lightning broke through the shadows and revealed them to be wearing white robes tied to the church, with the middle figure took off their hood as they took a better look at the place.

Said figure was revealed to be young woman around a high school student's age, having a striking resemblance to Freed, with hair that was a mix of black and white and red eyes.

"Whoa... I knew this place was busted, but some of this seems more recent." She remarked.

"We are in a Devil's territory, so they likely realized that Fallen Angels were here, or that rumor there was a recent disturbance here is true." A deep female voice replied.

The Freed lookalike turned around and nodded at her.

"Guess that temporary partnership seems more likely if they're already pulled into whatever mess they're causing." She agreed.

Pulling her hood down, the girl with a deeper voice was revealed to be a young woman with chin-length blue hair with an area on the right side she dyed a vivid green shade, and brown eyes that also looked somewhat looked dark yellow by some perspectives.

"It's getting late, are you sure we're supposed to meet him here?" She asked, looking at their presumably female comrade still wearing their hood up.

And female she was as they pulled their hood down, revealing they were a beautiful young woman with violet eyes and either orange, light brown, or chestnut hair that was tied in a pair of long twin tails she had to brush out of her hood that were held by a pair of blue scrunchies.

"Oh please, like I would be wrong! I lived here with my parents as a kid. Not only that, but I have an old friend who can tell us where to go if we need any help." She smiled, holding out an old picture.

In this picture showed a young her as a tomboy, and an equally young Ishie from when she still wore her hair in twin tails.

* * *

Morning soon came, where the sight of Mr. Hyoudou and his two daughters were seen enjoying some Miso Soup that Ishie had made, since Mrs. Hyoudou was currently doing laundry at the moment.

"Delicious! You've definitely got your mother's touch for cooking!" Her father praised.

Ishie blushed and let out a slight giggle.

"What's your recipe? Whenever I try to make it, mine ends up too salty." Asia asked.

"Actually, I don't use a recipe, so why don't you let me taste yours? That way, I can see what's throwing it off." Ishie replied.

Asia smiled at that.

"Oh, I nearly forgot about this. Hey mom, if it isn't any problem, do you mind if our club has our meeting here today!?" She called.

"Not at all, I'd love to meet your new friends!" She replied from the laundry room.

Asia looked at her in confusion.

"Why do we need to have the club meeting here?" Asia asked.

"The school's annual cleaning is today, so none of the clubs can meet in their club rooms." Ishie explained.

"Oh, then I could host it! Want me to make sure the tea's ready?" She asked.

"Sure thing, and I'll focus on organizing the living room." Ishie smiled.

Both of them resumed their breakfast, with Mrs. Hyoudou finally joining them as she sat down by her husband.

* * *

At school, everyone was currently seen wearing their Summer Uniforms, which had begun six days ago as a result of it becoming June 1st. Currently, the sight of a few girls smiling could be seen as Ishie walked through the hall.

Ishie was still surprised how much her reputation had changed since that sports competition and her natural hair color returning, but she didn't mind. After all, who wanted to argue against becoming the 5th most popular girl in school, considering who the four girls above her were?

"Hey." She greeted.

Said girls mentally shouted with joy before Ishie walked into her classroom. From there on until the end of class, things seemed rather uneventful, which had been the case ever since the Rating Game with Riser.

There had been a particularly strong Stray Devil resembling a Spider they recently fought, but it wasn't that much harder to kill than Viser was.

"Hmm... not sure what to add to the diary today, guess I should just compare things to last month again." She decided, pulling it out of her bag.

Grabbing her pencil, she began writing.

_"Dear Diary, it's been a little over month since the battle with Riser, and a lot that's happened since then. First of all, ever since my hair color returned to normal, although it could also be because I'm hanging out with Kuoh's Great Ladies when my figure's on a similar level to theirs, my popularity has raised to the point that I'm now the fifth most popular girl in school. Believe me, hearing that I'm ranked around the same level as Rias, Akeno, Sona, and Tsubaki was quite the shock at first, but now it feels so natural."_

Over in the corner, she noticed Motohama and Matsuda talking.

"You ready for my new DVD to start our marathon of Kaben Rider Pinky?" Matsuda asked excitedly.

"Not just ready, my sniper sense is tingling with anticipation!" Motohama replied with a smirk.

A female voice laughed in response.

Turning their heads, a girl with long hair of reddish-brown color she tied in twin braids and glasses like Motohama's could be seen.

"So, the two of you are looking to get fake inserts from fictional characters in anime? That's just sad." The female student replied.

Both of them growled.

"Shut up Kiryuu! We only need one freaky pervert with glasses, and Motohama's got the role!" Matsuda shouted.

"Don't lump me in the same category as that spectacle freak, it insults me!" Kiryuu retorted, raising her head up.

They growled even more.

"Oh yeah, well his glasses can accurately measure a woman's three sizes in an instant!" Matsuda shouted.

Kiryuu laughed, making her glasses shine before her light brown eyes showed a scary glare under them.

"Sorry, but he's not the only one!" She revealed.

"Say what!?" Motohama exclaimed in a panic.

Ishie felt a sweat drop go down her face in response. She wasn't sure of how she, or any other female student, should react to that.

"Now, let's take a look." Kiryuu decided, looking at their junk.

Ishie blushed before covering her ears, not wanting to hear what she whispered to them in response. Once she was done, she resumed her writing.

_"We also got a new student recently, one that's unofficially turned the perverted duo into a perverted trio. Her name is Kiryuu Aika, and while she's nothing like Matsuda and Motohama? It's her choice to taunt them that makes her part of the group. Considering how much this throws them off, it seems like everyone accepts how perverted she is, though then again... this school wasn't always co-ed, so maybe the girls are already used to seeing female perverts."_

Meanwhile, the sight of Saji and Ruruko walking together as they carried council papers could be seen, the latter blushing slightly as they talked to one another.

"Oh, your papers are slipping." Saji warned.

"Huh? Oh, don't worry, I've got it!" Ruruko replied.

She just barely shifted her arms before the papers fell out of her hands and across the floor. Momo, who was shown nearby, was seen wiping a window as she noticed this.

"Careful you two, there are still damp spots from last night." Momo warned.

Ruruko gave out a nervous laugh while Saji just gulped in response.

_"After my talk with Saji, he seems to have taken my words to heart, and he's been hanging out with Ruruko more often. They aren't dating yet, but I'm expecting that status will change once the right catalyst happens. Likewise, after our Tennis match was over, Momo and I formed a friendship as fellow Bishops since she decided to help show me how to overcome the weak spots in using my magic when she has free time."_

She briefly glanced to the side to see Asia talking with Katase and Murayama, who were all laughing happily, and then glanced outside.

_"Since that night after that weird situation with the mummy trying to take control of me, I haven't seen anything with the White Dragon repeat itself. I'm starting to wonder if those dreams were just vivid nightmares or something. I could ask Rias, but I'm kind of afraid to ask, so I'll avoid trying to unless something like that happens again. Nothing bad is happening to me, so it's likely nothing I need to worry over."_

The sight of a baseball being hit was heard as some clubs were seen playing a game.

_"And for now? We've got that baseball match against the Student Council to worry over, since we never got to finish it, and the Ball Festival is the perfect chance to settle the score for what seems to be a food-based reward. Things have been peaceful since then, and while I know it probably won't last before another stray or small issue pops up to cause some trouble... for now, I'll enjoy this moment of peace."_

Ishie closed the book, soon getting on her feet as she walked to her younger sister and best friends.

"Come on guys, we need to get some practice in before today's club meeting." She reminded them.

"Yeah, the student council's going down!" Katase exclaimed.

They headed outside, completely missing the sight of Kiba walking by the window, looking lost in thought as a slight frown was seen on his face.

* * *

Koneko slammed her bat against a baseball, making many students gasp as she hit a home run.

"Sometimes I wonder if Koneko's strength is part of why everyone calls her the school mascot, considering what some actual mascots tend to be." Ishie wondered aloud.

"Who knows? All we do know is she comes off as adorable." Akeno giggled.

Kiba stepped up to bat next, still looking as distracted as before. The ball was thrown at him... and it hit on the side! While he didn't get hurt, everyone gasped.

"Did Kiba just let the ball hit him!?" Murayama questioned.

Rias was quick call for a time up, then rushed up to him.

"Kiba, are you alright? This isn't like you." She asked, a large look of concern on her face.

"I'm fine, just... having an off day." He replied.

Ishie was quick to see notice Rias just stood there with a surprised look, then closed her eyes and nodded.

"Why don't you sit down for now?" She suggested.

"Yeah, OK." Kiba replied, walking over to the bench.

That got Ishie's attention, so she walked up to Rias as she headed back, surprising the Devil Heiress.

"Rias, what's wrong with Kiba? It seems like this isn't the first time this has happened." Ishie asked.

Rias moved by her ear.

"This happens once a year in the first month of June... because that's when I reincarnated him." She whispered.

Ishie's eyes widened.

She remembered the backstory Kiba told her, and realized the time of year must have caused him to remember, not unlike how the days before school left her similarly out of it for a while.

"Got it, then do you want me to just give him some space for now?" Ishie asked.

"Best you do. Besides, he should be back to normal in a day or two, so it isn't a big concern unless I see something new." Rias answered.

Ishie nodded, going back and sitting down as she briefly glanced at Kiba, silently hoping to herself that he'd feel better sooner than later.

* * *

Later on, Ishie and Asia were back at home.

As Asia was brewing some tea, Ishie could be seen moving things around in the living room to make sure there was enough room for everyone to be comfortable, soon sitting on the cough

"Man, this is tiring even for a Devil..." She remarked, wiping her forehead.

She soon heard a sound, getting her attention.

"Am I just hearing things or..." Ishie wondered.

**("Finally, I have no idea why it's been such a struggle to talk with you beyond your dreams until now.")**

Ishie gasped, recognizing that voice as she looked at her back, only to see her Divine Dividing hadn't materialized.

"Wait, then you're... where are you!?" She asked.

**("Take a look at your right hand.")** He replied.

Raising her right hand, she saw a blue glow on the back of her palm, matching the secondary color of her Sacred Gear and the personal color of her aura.

**("It's nice to properly meet you. My name is Albion, the Vanishing Dragon, or as you know me? The White Dragon Emperor.")** Albion greeted.

"Albion, huh? Pretty ironic name." She remarked.

**("Yes, I am aware my name doesn't sound too original, but I can assure you that wasn't the case when I was first born. That was at least long before the time of Christ's birth.")** He replied.

Ishie flinched as she heard that, surprised he had been alive long enough to see that event.

"Uh, OK then? I'm assuming there's something you want to talk with me about?" She asked.

**("Not exactly. I don't really have much to tell you as of right now, but I am here to give you a warning... one I assume your master has hid from you out of concern it might have troubled you.")** Albion answered.

"A warning? No offense, but what kind of warning would Rias decide is better for me to _not_ know about?" Ishie inquired.

Albion paused for a brief moment.

**("That the Red Dragon could show up at any time.")** He revealed.

"Wait, did you just say Red Dragon, as in..." She asked, sweating slightly.

**("I'm one of the strongest Dragons, not the strongest of all. Did that never make you consider there may be another Dragon that had strength matching my own?")** Albion inquired.

Ishie froze slightly, which Albion took as his cue to continue.

**("To elaborate more on this? Me and this Dragon are known as the Heavenly Dragons, who have been fighting each other for millennia. Being sealed within Sacred Gears has done nothing to stop this conflict in the centuries following the Great War's end.")** He explained.

"OK, so... what's the name of the Red Dragon Emperor?" Ishie asked.

**("Ddraig, also known as the Welsh Dragon.")** Albion revealed.

"Wait, the Welsh Dragon? Like the Dragon of Wales? Then, wouldn't that mean... you're the White Dragon of England!?" She realized.

Albion hummed in response.

**("Impressive, it seems there's advantages to having a host with such a strong passion for stories and fantasies.")** He praised.

Ishie blushed in embarrassment.

**("Anyways, that's all I needed to say. Just keep your eye out for anyone who wields the Boosted Gear housing my rival. If its user has already awakened, then I won't be able to warn you... especially since they will have sensed your awakening.")** Albion reminded her.

"Got it, I'll watch my back." Ishie promised.

With those words, the glow on her hand vanished as Albion went back into an inactive state. Ishie then released a troubled sigh as resumed setting up the living room.

"Red Dragon, I really hope you haven't woken up yet..." She said to herself.

At that moment, Vali suddenly felt himself sneeze, confusing him greatly.

* * *

The afternoon sky quickly rolled in as the scene changed to the living room of Ishie's house, where every member of the Occult Research Club was seen sitting on the floor.

"OK, first big rule for everyone to know? No one's allowed to go into the kitchen." She stated.

"Uh... no offense to you or anything, but that's an oddly specific rule to have." Akeno mentioned, wondering why that was a rule.

Katase gave an awkward chuckle in response.

"It's actually her mother's rule. Whenever we came over, the only ones allowed to go in there are Ishie herself or her parents, and they won't tell us why." She mentioned.

Everyone looked at Asia.

"Sorry, but I don't know why that's a rule. Especially since I'm actually allowed in there." Asia replied, looking confused.

"Well, everyone has a few skeletons in their closet, so let's respect that rule since we're the guests here." Rias replied.

Ishie sighed in relief.

"Oh, and Rias? Before we start today's meeting... the White Dragon, or rather Albion, finally spoke with me." She revealed, holding her right hand up.

This caught her attention.

"He did? I've never actually seen this, so tell me what it was like." Rias requested, both surprised and curious.

"He was fairly polite. Then, after when he finished introducing himself, Albion told me about the Red Dragon and why you never told me about him." Ishie revealed.

Rias let out a sigh, while Asia and the kendo duo's eyes widened.

"I see, so you know about that now. I just hope you understand why I didn't say anything." She replied, looking away slightly.

Ishie nodded, sitting down.

"Don't worry, I understand completely. Especially since I'm assuming that you don't even know if the Red Dragon's host has awakened or not." She reassured her.

"That's right. My brother's been looking around for any signs of him, and he hasn't found anything... though that doesn't mean they aren't awake." Rias confirmed.

Asia was about to ask a question, but Rias held out a hand.

"It's better you don't know just yet. While it will eventually be something you'll need to know, it's something I shouldn't make you worry over until we know it is, especially if we end up learning that Ishie doesn't have anything to worry about." She explained.

Murayama sighed at that, the nodded in response.

"Well, if you say we don't need to worry? Then I guess we'll take your word for it." She decided.

"Thank you." Rias smiled.

She soon took out a piece of paper, but before she could say anything?

*"KNOCK! KNOCK!"*

Everyone went quite as Ishie looked at the door.

"Mom, is that you?" Ishie asked.

"It is, I brought some snacks." Her mother confirmed, holding a tray.

"Be right there." She replied.

Ishie opened the door, and most of the ORC saw her mother for the first time, surprising them as they saw what she looked like.

She was incredibly young for someone who had a child in high school, looking to be in her early to mid-30's at best, with a figure that easily put Akeno's to shame by being an amazing B108-W58-H90 for her three sizes. In fact, it was one Rias noticed surpassed even her own mother, who was known for being quite voluptuous by a Bael's standards.

Her hair was the same color as her daughter's, even looking similar beyond it being much longer and reaching between her waist and hips in length, though her eyes were a weird purple at the top and red at the bottom that gave an enigmatic lure to them.

"Whoa, uh... hello there, it's nice to meet you. Mrs. Hyoudou. You look good for someone that's, uh..." Kiba greeted, trying to be polite.

"If you're trying to ask how old she is? My mom's 36." Ishie answered.

This caught her fellow Devils by surprise, while the kendo duo laughed.

"Some girls tend to have kids earlier than they should, with my mom and I being two of them, since she's only 55." She answered.

Rias tried to see if there was anything supernatural about her, but... she didn't sense anything. That mean her story had to be true.

"Anyways, you must be the members of the... Supernatural Research Club?" Ishie's mom asked.

"_Occult_ Research Club, actually, but I guess some occult stuff can be supernatural." Ishie corrected.

She giggled and bopped herself on the head.

"Well, continue on then. I hope you enjoy these snacks." She replied, preparing to walk off.

However, she stopped as she remembered something, grabbing a picture from her pocket.

"Oh, Ishie! Look what I found an extra photo while looking through the family albums?" She smiled, handing it to her.

Ishie saw it, and then smiled.

"Hey there Irina, it's been a while..." She said, feeling nostalgic.

Walking back to the group, she showed everyone the picture.

"Everyone, this is me and my friend Irina back when were about... 5, I think?" Ishie revealed.

"Oh, so that's the best friend you're always telling us about." Katase remarked.

"I can't believe you had twin tails back then, they don't fit you at all!" Murayama giggled, albeit in a playful manner.

Looking at the picture, Rias briefly gasped as she noticed something.

'Was her best friend the daughter of _that_ church member?' She thought, noticing her hair and eyes.

"What was her full name again? It was something with an S, wasn't it?" Katase asked, scratching her head.

"It was Irina Shidou." Ishie answered.

Rias gasped, though only loud enough for Akeno to hear her.

"Rias, is there a problem?" She whispered.

"I'll tell you later." Rias whispered back.

At the same time, Kiba noticed the Holy Sword in the back of the image, feeling a bead of sweat form on his cheek.

'To see that now of all times? I hope that's not an omen of some kind...' He thought, hoping he was just paranoid.

Too bad fate had a different plan in mind.

* * *

Ishie was currently seen riding her bike through the dead of night, using her GPS to lead her to a client that she couldn't use a magic circle for because they apparently had to call about accidentally damaging it.

Eventually, she found herself at a fancy hotel, surprising her quite a bit.

"Whoa... this is a little unexpected." She said to herself, still fairly shocked.

Ishie sent her bike home using magic and then walked inside the hotel, taking the elevator up to her client's floor and then walking through the halls to reach the door for the room the lived in.

Once she found it, she pressed the doorbell and saw her client open the door.

"Hello?" The man greeted.

"Hey there, you're the client who had damaged their flier, right?" Ishie greeted, holding up a spare flier in response.

The young man before her, who had long black hair and wore a black robe, smirked once he saw the flier in her hand.

"Ah, so you're the Devil I summoned, come on in." He replied.

Ishie soon walked inside, noticing he had a lot of things that didn't look like they from Japan.

'He does kind of look foreign, so maybe that's what his job must relate to?' She guessed.

He soon briefly poked his head out of his kitchen.

"Are you able to drink sake by chance?" He asked.

"No, I'm a minor until next year." Ishie answered.

"Good thing I got other beverages just in case, it wouldn't be much of a reason to summon you for a drink if you can't drink anything." He replied.

Ishie blinked in response.

"Wait... so, you summoned a Devil to have a drink with you?" She asked.

"I did, is that a problem?" He inquired.

"No, it's just requests aren't usually that... easy, I guess?" Ishie explained, unsure of how to word it.

"If you say so. Got any drink you'd prefer in particular?" He asked.

She thought for a moment.

"Got any fruit punch?" She asked.

"I do." He replied.

Pouring her a cup and walking over, the two began talking about whatever for the next half hour.

* * *

The following day, Sona and Tsubaki were walking to school, with Sona reading a small book.

One she suddenly closed, alerting Tsubaki.

"Sona, is something wrong?" She asked.

"Look at the end of the bridge." Sona replied, keeping her eyes locked on what she saw.

Tsubaki did, and soon saw the trio of church girls who had arrived the week prior to today.

"Find Rias or Akeno, this isn't good." Sona warned.

Tsubaki nodded her head, and the two walked ahead, causing the one girl who looked like Freed to intentionally move enough to _accidentally_ bump her arm against Sona.

"Excuse me." She apologized.

"That's alright, but you should realize this isn't somewhere you should stand when everyone's trying to get to class." Sona replied.

"We know, but my one associate here is looking for a specific student that should be a Second-Year student here." She apologized.

Sona stared at her, wondering what these three were planning.

Meanwhile, Tsubaki was lucky enough to find Akeno in the front halls, and quickly fast walked towards her.

"Akeno!"

Hearing her name called out, she turned to see Tsubaki near her.

"What's wrong? You seem nervous." Akeno worriedly inquired.

"Hurry, you need to contact Rias and the members of your peerage... Sona and I just ran into members of the church outside the school." She revealed.

Akeno gasped once she heard that.

* * *

Ishie and Asia were seen walking to school alongside Katase and Murayama, and just as they were about to near a crosswalk, a magic circle appeared by her ear.

"Ishie, forget about attending class today. We have a problem and the entire Occult Research Club has just been given an excused absence." Akeno replied.

Her eyes widened.

"One second. I'm with the others, so let me tell them for you." She replied.

All of them turned once they heard that, with Ishie quickly looking to them.

"What's wrong?" Asia asked.

"We're not going to class today, Akeno just told me we have a problem, so I think we need to teleport to the club room right after she explains what's going on." Ishie replied.

The trio gasped once they heard that.

Realizing this was serious, all of them immediately moved into a more private area, allowing Akeno to project herself from a magic circle to replicate a phone's speaker option.

"Go ahead." Ishie stated.

"Well, best way to define it? Three exorcists from the church just showed up by the school." Akeno revealed.

This caused Ishie to gasp, while Asia felt herself starting to shake, wondering if she was why they came.

"Do you know why they came?" Katase asked.

"No, but the fact Sona had Tsubaki run off to find me or Rias means that this is big. It definitely seems like they want to meet with us for some reason... though the question is what they came here for." Akeno answered, looking troubled.

"Oh boy..." Murayama breathed.

With that, the magic circle and the projection of Akeno disappeared. Ishie took a deep breath, forming a magic circle on the ground and stepping inside it, getting her friends' attention.

"Come on guys, I think it's best if we jump directly to the club room." She stated.

Everyone quickly gathered around her, and they quickly vanished from the area.

* * *

Rias was currently sitting in the club room, biting one of her nail's slightly as she tried to calm her nerves from the church's sudden arrival, which is when she noticed magic circles for her peerage form one by one until everyone was gathered.

Seeing everyone was safe, she quickly jumped off the couch and pulled everyone into a group hug as her eyes teared up.

"Thank goodness, you're all safe!" Rias smiled.

"Wait, does that mean the church's arrival was bad enough that someone could have died?" Ishie asked.

Rias pulled away and wiped her eyes.

"Sorry, it's just they haven't been in this town since before it was made my territory, so I've never been in such a situation. Just hearing they were here made me panic." She admitted.

Everyone sighed in relief after hearing that. It was times like this they remembered that, even if she was mature for her age, Rias was still a teenage girl who could easily be freaked out if caught off-guard by something.

"So, when are they-" Asia inquired.

The door soon opened, quickly answering that question as Rias looked towards it.

"Quick, gather around the couch and have Asia, Katase, and Murayama be in the middle!" She shouted.

Everyone quickly scrambled into place, with Koneko feeling herself getting squished during the process.

"This is annoying... incredibly annoying." She said, making an angry deadpan look.

They soon managed to get themselves settled enough to not look forced, right as the door opened to show the trio walking in. When they did, Kiba felt his eyes widen, seeing what two of them had.

He gritted his teeth in response, barely able to keep calm, until he felt someone hold his hand. He turned to see it was Ishie, who smiled at him.

"Thanks, I needed that." He replied, managing to relax slightly.

As the trio prepared to sit themselves down, one of them suddenly stopped as she saw Ishie, and then...

"I don't believe it, Ishie!" She exclaimed.

"Huh? I'm sorry, but do I know you?" Ishie asked, pointing to her head.

"Oh right, guess my voice isn't that familiar since we're not 5 anymore." She realized.

Ishie paused as she heard that, then gasped as she saw none other than her childhood friend Irina under the hood, making her shouted in happiness before jumping over the couch.

"Irina, I don't believe it!" She exclaimed.

"Well believe it, because it's really me! Come here!" Irina replied.

She rushed forward to hug her, but Ishie was forced to back away.

"Hmm? What's the matter?" She asked.

"Nothing, it's just..." Ishie replied.

Ishie sweated as she stared at the cross around her neck, realizing she just put herself in a corner.

"I'm... a Devil now." She admitted, lowering her head.

Irina gasped in horror, prompting Ishie to hold her hands out.

"D-Don't panic, I didn't become one willingly! Rias had to make me one to save my life after I got killed by a Fallen Angel!" She panicked, trying to explain herself.

This caught the other two exorcist's attention as they heard it, while Irina's face returned to normal.

"Promise?" She asked.

"Promise." Ishie repeated.

"Do you 100% swear that you didn't become a Devil by choice?" Irina asked again.

"Cross my heart, hope to die, stick a needle in my eye." Ishie quickly answered.

She sighed in relief.

"Alright, then I believe you." Irina smiled, albeit it was bittersweet.

Katase leaned towards Rias.

"I'm confused, why did that prevent her from allowing that hug?" She asked.

"The cross around her neck, it would have burned her skin." Rias explained.

Her eyes widened as she backed away.

"Well, since it seems Irina already introduced herself, I guess that's how we'll start this off." The blue-haired girl decided.

She pulled off her hood.

"My name is Xenovia Quarta, an exorcist of the Vatican and Irina's partner." Xenovia greeted.

"As for me?" The remaining exorcist began.

Ishie froze as she saw her remove her hood, then screamed before jumping behind the couch, causing her friends to see her sitting as her body shook.

"Uh... what just happened?" She inquired.

"No offense, but you look like a psychotic swordsman that nearly killed her during her first few days as a Devil." Koneko explained.

Hearing that, the girl's eyes widened before she let out an annoyed growl.

"Damn it, to think my own brother spread his insanity this far?" She stated with annoyance.

That caught everyone's attention, including Ishie's as she slowly rose her head back into view.

"Freed Sellzen... is your brother!?" Ishie shouted.

"One of two actually, I'm the only girl in a set of triplets. You can call me Lint Sellzen." She answered.

Ishie paled at that, prompting Rias to clear her throat.

"Before we let this tangent grow any further, perhaps you'd like to begin telling us why you wanted to have this meeting?" Rias suggested.

Lint's eyes widened before clearing her own throat, motioning Irina back to the couch. She quickly took her seat as the meeting officially began.

"To start things off? We realize this is strange, considering we're on opposing side, but..." Lint began.

"If I'm being honest with my own feelings about this? I'd ask you to stay completely out of this matter since you Devils shouldn't have any part of it." Xenovia interjected.

Rias slightly scowled at that.

"I'm sorry, but did you just imply that we would back stab you for our own benefit?" She asked, her aura flaring slightly.

"Considering what we're about to reveal is something you Devils would detest? You'd have every reason to." Xenovia replied.

"There is no way I'd ever besmirch my family name or my brother with such cowardice. If that's how you truly believe, then I think it's better all three of you leave right now and forget involving us in your affairs." Rias warned.

Xenovia smiled in response.

"Just as I thought." She replied.

Rias showed surprise at that.

"Apologies for what I said. Even though we were sure you, the sister of Lucifer, wouldn't be so foolish? Headquarters wanted us to hear your direct word, and now we have." She explained.

"I see, you were testing my trust." Rias realized, mildly impressed.

Lint soon held out her hand.

"As our own show of trust for the small deception, here's our own secret so you can fully trust us in return." She added.

She created a purple flame in her hand, making Rias' eyes widen as Ishie felt her Devil Instincts warn her like never before.

"Whoa... what is that thing!?" Ishie asked.

"It's the Incinerate Anthem, a Longinus that can easily slay the strongest of High-Class Devils with holy purple flames. It was also once the crucifixion that Jesus Christ rested upon when he was stabbed." Akeno revealed.

She felt her eyes widened before gulping, now taking Kiba's hand to calm _herself_ down.

"Sorry for the scare, but I hope revealing such a secret is an accurate way of proving our trust?" Lin apologized, raising an eye.

"It is. So, what did you come to talk with us about?" Rias replied, slowly regaining her bearings.

Lint sighed, glancing to Irina, who nodded in response.

"First thing we need to know. About two months ago, were there any Fallen Angels in this area?" She asked.

"There were, as you might recall Ishie mentioning to you about how she became a Devil." Rias confirmed.

Irina sighed at that reminder.

"Well, around a week or two ago, three of the six Excalibur swords the Church were stolen by Fallen Angels." Irina revealed.

The entire ORC gasped at that revelation.

"That explains why there are Holy Swords with you, those are some of the remaining three, aren't they?" Kiba realized, looking at all three once more.

"Correct, as it was deemed safer for them to stay with us than be left where the Fallen Angels knew they would be." Xenovia confirmed, showing hers.

Lint did the same, while Irina turned the string around her arm into a sword.

"Whoa, so... all three of you can wield a Holy Sword?" Ishie asked, remembering how rare Kiba said their wielders were.

"Actually, only Xenovia and Irina can. It's only due to my Longinus that Excalibur Blessing lets me use it." Lint answered.

Ishie blinked in confusion.

"Excalibur Blessing empowers belief, and the Incinerate Anthem is a Holy Relic tied to our beliefs through Jesus' connection to it. That makes the difference I need to wield it. Whereas if I try to wield the other two?" She explained.

She grabbed Excalibur Destruction and Excalibur Mimicry, and tried to lift them up, but to no success.

"See? They won't let me wield them." Lint revealed, rubbing her head.

"Anyways, what matters most in this whole situation is that we need to see if you can prove the Fallen Angels you fought before are part of the same group. We can't let you help us unless we can prove it." Irina finished explaining.

"I think we can... no, to be more accurate, one of the Fallen Angels herself told us something would happen before she met her end." Rias replied.

This got Lint's attention.

"Her words were... _I swear to you, my death is just the beginning_... is that something you'd consider proof?" She revealed.

Lint felt herself sweat slightly as she heard that.

"Yeah, that definitely sounds like proof to me." Lint decided, briefly closing her eyes.

She stood up in response.

"If you'll excuse us, we need to let headquarters know what's happened before we can share anymore information with you. I hope you don't mind waiting until this afternoon to fully learn what's going on." Lint stated, pulling up her hood.

"Understood, just meet us here after school ends and we'll discuss the details." Rias replied.

Irina and Xenovia stood up with her and prepared to leave, only for Xenovia suddenly to stop.

Asia noticed she was looking at her.

"Xenovia, what's up?" Lint asked.

"Excuse me, but by any chance would your name be Asia Argento?" She inquired.

She didn't reply, just stood in place and shook with fear, causing Ishie to hold her.

"Calm down sis, it'll be alright." Ishie reassured her.

Irina briefly gasped at those words, while Xenovia kept staring at her... until she noticed Asia's cross, then began walking off.

"Huh?" Irina blinked.

"It's her, but it seems that I was also mistaken." She answered.

"OK? Uh... bye Ishie, see you later!" Irina smiled as she waved.

All three exorcists left the old school building, with Ishie and Asia looking confused over the whole situation, prompting Ishie to look at Rias in response.

"What was that about? Especially that part about being mistaken?" She asked.

"My best guess is since most of us here are Devils, she was under the assumption Asia may have been one. It sounds like she would have been mad if she still had faith as a Devil." Rias guessed.

As she said that, Rias soon heard Kiba walk towards the door.

"Where are you going?" She asked.

"Home for the moment. After what I've seen, I have a good feeling what's going on... and I'll need to have a clear head for it." He asked.

"Oh, I see." Rias realized.

She took a deep breath and then nodded, making Kiba briefly smile before he opened the door and left.

"Everyone? Be on guard for the rest of today, because I'm pretty certain something big is come up if the church is willing to form a temporary partnership with Devils." Rias warned.

Hearing that, Ishie felt her eyes widen as a horrible thought entered her mind.

Without any warning, Ishie took a step back and quickly vanished through a magic circle without saying a thing, catching everyone by surprise.

"Ishie!?" Asia shouted worriedly.

"She left... just like that? What's wrong?" Katase wondered aloud.

Rias was wondering the same thing, only for her to silently gasp.

"Of course." She said to herself.

Everyone looked at her, seeing her close her eyes and take a deep breath.

"She needs to be alone for a while." Rias advised.

"But why? What made her leave?" Murayama asked.

"It's not that simple when you take the time to problem that comes from Irina being a member of the church." Rias answered.

It didn't take long before everyone put two and two together, realizing how cruel fate had become for the Gremory Bishop.

* * *

Around the time school was over, Ishie was seen at a cafe, sighing as she swirled her fingers around the top of the slushy cup she was drinking. As she did, Ishie failed to see someone walking up to her.

That someone was shown to be Momo, who noticed her current expression.

"You're not usually one to look so down Ishie." She said, knowing it would surprise her.

"Huh!?" Ishie shouted, jumping slightly.

Looking behind her, she finally saw Momo.

"Oh, hey there Momo, I'm just... well, it's sort of..." Ishie replied, stumbling over her words a little.

She sat down at the table with her.

"Sona already told the entire Council about what happened earlier with the church exorcists. After that, Rias suggested that I come and find you." Momo replied, a concerned look on her face.

"Did... Rias tell you anything?" She asked.

Momo shook her head.

"I think she felt it would make you feel better if you talked about it with someone who didn't know, so I'm in the dark beyond the fact you met with people from the church." Momo answered.

Ishie took a deep breath, clasping her hands together.

"One of them... is my best friend." She revealed.

The Bishop of Sitri felt her eyes widen as she heard that, but said nothing as she let Ishie finish speaking before she spoke again.

"Her name's Irina Shidou, and we've been friends since we were 3 years old. Though she moved when I turned 7." Ishie continued.

'If she's with the church now, then I can tell why.' Momo realized.

"I always longed to see her again, because I had been going through a rough time... you could say she was the one person who kept me from fully devolving into my world of fantasies at the time. As much as I appreciate my friendship with Katase and Murayama, it always felt like Irina was the friend who understood me most." She sadly admitted.

Seeing her pause, Momo decided to briefly interject.

"I know how that feels. Compared to the rest of Sona's peerage, I grew up with Sona due to our parents knowing each other. There are some things even Tsubaki can't sense from her at times that I'm able to." She admitted.

"So, you basically grew up expecting to become part of Sona's peerage?" Ishie asked.

"Yeah, in a sense." Momo confirmed.

Ishie smiled in response, feeling a little better after hearing that.

"Anyways, I guess the reason why I'm feeling so down is... it wasn't until Rias said how whatever situation brought them here had to be serious enough to form a temporary alliance that it finally hit me what me being a Devil and her being with the church meant." She stated.

Tears began to flow from her eyes.

"That when all of this blows over, and that partnership ends..." Momo began.

"My own best friend and I will be forced into becoming enemies!" She finished.

She sobbed as she covered her eyes.

"I remember how you told me a Fallen Angel is why you ended up becoming a Devil, so I can't imagine how it feels to realize you were denied the right to say no over how it would affect such an important friendship. Tomoe already knows a similar pain under a different context." Momo replied, closing her eyes.

Ishie's sobs became sniffles as she looked at her, with Momo opening her eyes in response.

"She was cursed at birth because of someone her family, who were a clan of exorcists, had hunted. She was always in pain until her parents begged Sona to reincarnate her, which dispelled the curse's effects. The downside is this choice forced her parents to be expelled from the clan for having a Devil as their child." She revealed.

"So, I guess in the supernatural world... third options don't exist." Ishie sighed.

"Actually, you're wrong. Rias and Sona have proof of this from the Devil who was the former head of Kuoh Town." Momo corrected, smiling slightly.

Ishie's eyes widened.

"Wait, what do you mean by that?" She questioned.

"Before Rias, this town was run by Cleria Belial, who shocked both Heaven and Hell by doing something that's considered a big no-no to both sides... falling in love with a member of the church." Momo revealed.

At that moment, Ishie swore she heard a pin hit the ground.

"Just the reaction I would expect. Especially since aside from Rias and Sona's peerages, their older siblings, and their families? Most Devils don't know really happened to them." Momo continued.

"Then... what did happen to them?" Ishie asked.

"Well, after they first met and started to feel the signs of affection between one another? Many began telling them to stop seeing each other or face the consequences... only problem was neither listened because after a while? It was clear to both of them that they had fallen for the other. Eventually, people from each of their respective species hit a point where they threatened to... take care of them if they didn't stop what they were doing." Momo explained.

Hearing that, Ishie tensed up slightly.

"However, that's when Zekram Bael decided of a better solution that would give everyone what they wanted. If Cleria and Masaomi's positions were a problem, yet neither of their factions wanted to promote such a forbidden union? It was best they faked their deaths and let the public believe they had been killed for pursing their forbidden love." She revealed.

"Wait, so you're saying the current leader of the Devils-" Ishie realized.

"He had a member of the church act like he had caught the two, unaware the execution stands had magic circles that would teleport the duo once they were set on fire. As a result, everyone believed they were dead as he snuck them into the Gremory Clan's territory, where they've been living ever since." Momo confirmed.

She closed her eyes after saying that.

"If there's any moral to this story? Despite Devils being creatures of evil and darkness and Angels being creatures of good and light, even they can find love with one another. That means how things with have changed with you and Irina being on different sides... doesn't mean things will automatically end up being black and white." Momo smiled, hoping she eased Ishie's worries.

Ishie stared at Momo, fully taking in the words she just heard.

Was it really possible that their friendship could find a way? Even when they were on opposite sides?

"Well, don't get too excited and think that automatically means things will end up as you want. I'm just saying you shouldn't expect this to automatically end your friendship." Momo admitted.

Ishie let out a sigh before a small smile formed on her face.

"Thanks for telling me all of that Momo, I think hearing something like that was just what I needed." She replied.

"That's good. After all, we can't have our Hakuryuukou lose her resolve." Momo replied.

A loud groan escaped Ishie's mouth as she heard that unfortunate nickname of hers.

**('Did the Devils really use the Japanese translation of my title as your official nickname?')** Albion asked, somewhat rhetorically.

She just blushed more, making Albion lower his head and sigh.

Luckily, that thought was quickly brushed ahead as both Ishie saw her phone ring, showing Rias was calling.

"I better be heading back now. It looks like Irina and others came back to tell us more." Ishie excused herself.

"Good luck." Momo replied.

Ishie quickly ran off to the nearest alley and opened a magic circle.

* * *

The members of the ORC and the church trio were currently sitting on the twin couches as they waited for Ishie, who quickly reappeared from a magic circle.

"There you are. Feeling better now?" Rias smiled, looking at her.

"Well enough, I guess. Sorry if I worried anyone." Ishie answered, apologizing as she rubbed her head.

"Don't feel too bad. I had to leave for a similar reason, remember?" Kiba answered, winking in response.

She blushed in response.

"Alright, now that we're all gathered? I think the first thing we should know is why you believe the Excalibur swords may have been stolen?" Rias inquired.

"That's the easy part. An infamous and dangerous excommunicated member of the church is helping them... his name is Valper Galilei." Lint revealed.

"I knew it!" Kiba exclaimed.

The caught Ishie's attention.

"Kiba, are you saying he's the man who was in charge of the Holy Sword Project?" Ishie inquired.

Upon hearing that, Xenovia raised an eye.

"I thought you looked familiar. You're Isaiah, one of the church orphans who was part of the project." She realized.

"That name was given to me by someone who saw me as nothing but a lab rat, Kiba Yuuto is only name I have now." Kiba replied, confirming his identity.

He took a deep breath.

"You're absolutely sure he's involved with this?" Kiba asked, wanting to hear complete conformation.

"My own brother has been working with him for a while now. If you saw him here, and he was helping the group of Fallen Angels you fought at the time? That confirms both of them are involved in this." Lint verified.

"That would explain why he had an Excalibur when we fought." Kiba realized.

That caught Lint's attention.

"Wait, he had an Excalibur? As in... he was actually able to wield it against you!?" She questioned.

"I saw it with my own eyes, and Ishie can say the same." He confirmed.

"Yeah, it looked like a lightning bolt and made him really fast." Ishie recalled.

This made the trio of exorcists look at each other.

"No way, he actually managed to create a way to give someone the ability to wield a Holy Sword?" Irina asked herself, looking terrified.

Xenovia closed her eyes, being the only one who didn't seem surprised.

"Considering who the Fallen Angel responsible for the thefts was? It makes perfect sense he had the means to complete his research." She remarked.

"So, you know who it is? Something tells me this is the part we should be worried." Rias inquired.

Xenovia opened her eyes, nodding her head.

"The one known as... Kokabiel." Xenovia revealed.

Akeno gasped as she heard that, which was something the newer members of the ORC quickly noticed, recalling how rarely the Gremory Queen showed any panic or fear over anything.

"Akeno, what's wrong?" Asia asked.

"Kokabiel's one of the many cadres who lead Grigori, the main government of the Fallen Angels, and he's infamous for how... brutal he can be." She explained.

"Brutal in what way?" Katase asked.

"As in he loves to fight. Where most people hate the Great War ever happened, he loved fighting in it." Akeno answered.

"Which is why the Angels currently believe he's trying to make people fight him, or fight whatever forces he's gathered." Lint added.

Rias sweated in response, taking a moment to swallow and wet her throat a little.

"Now it makes sense why the church considered a temporary partnership with us... Kokabiel's not someone we can fight, and getting the swords back would be better than letting him keep them." She realized.

"Worse is there's already been three casualties, all of them being priests who were scouting the town for us, that happened in the last two months. Two of them occurring outside at the beginning of May and June, and one inside a house in April." Irina added.

Ishie gasped.

"I was in that house..." She realized, holding herself as she shook.

"Wait, what!?" Irina gasped.

"During one of my summons, Freed was the client as part of a trap, and while I never found a body... I could tell that I stepped in blood. More than likely, that man was one of the priests. The only thing I can't explain is how a priest managed to get one of our fliers, though based on what you just said?" Ishie explained.

"It had to have been the first priest that was killed." Xenovia realized.

"As for the flier part? That can be explained by our familiars not realizing he was with the church. There are people who can hide their auras and hide in plain sight, which this priest likely did." Rias explained.

Hearing that, Ishie slightly shuddered as she recalled the day she died.

'No wonder you made sure I had a flier, that Fallen Angel who killed me must have been hiding from you the same way.' She realized.

She soon looked at Lint, getting her attention.

"Exactly what does Kokabiel look like? I mean, if we're dealing with a person even Rias implies is too dangerous for her, then shouldn't we know who we need to avoid?" Ishie inquired.

"He looks like this." Lint replied, forming a magic circle.

It revealed a projection of someone that made Ishie fall on her butt, shaking as she stared at it.

"Ishie?" Murayama said in concern.

"Rias, this man... he looks like the man who summoned me last night!' She screamed, a shadow covering her eyes.

"What did you say!?" Rias shouted in disbelief.

Everyone was equally scared to hear how easily he was able to near Ishie.

'He could have easily killed Ishie, so why did he spare her?' Rias questioned.

"Wait, something about him looks familiar." Asia realized, getting closer.

Hearing that, Ishie got closer and took a closer look, starting to see the traits Kokabiel had hidden to appear fully Human to her.

"I think you're right. Those teeth and red sclera do seem familiar, but why is..." She agreed.

Ishie suddenly gasped as she realized why it was so familiar to her, recalling Raynare's glowing red eyes and her fang-like teeth present in her true form.

"They're just like the Fallen Angel who killed me!" Ishie remembered.

"Wait, stop the car... did you just say a Fallen Angel that killed you resembles Kokabiel?" Lint asked, suddenly afraid.

Ishie nodded her head.

"Uh... by any chance, did she look like this?" Lint inquired, forming another magic circle.

A projection of Raynare appeared, making Ishie and Asia gasp.

"Yes, that's her!" Asia confirmed.

Irina and Xenovia soon saw their fellow exorcist go pale and fall further into the couch, staring at the ceiling.

"Of course, that's why she said those dying words..." Lint realized.

"Why, what's wrong?" Ishie asked, now sounding as afraid as she was moments ago.

Lint took a deep breath.

"Because that Fallen Angel is Raynare, who is, or rather was... Kokabiel's daughter!" She revealed.

Ishie froze in place.

"I killed his... please, somebody tell me what that means? All I can tell right now is it sounds _really_ bad!" Ishie begged.

"What it means is..." Lint answered.

She sat up, then tightened her fists as she briefly struggled to get the word out of her mouth.

"More than likely, Kokabiel's plan is... to destroy the ceasefire, and restart the Great War." She revealed.

At that moment, silence filled the room.

Right before Ishie fell over and fainted.

* * *

Deep in the forests of Kuoh Town's park, the sight of Kokabiel could be seen, now with the sclera of his eyes fully red, his fang-like teeth, and ears like an elf showing his true appearance to the world.

He now wore what looked to be a dark version of Sirzechs' own attire, which resembled the robe he wore when Ishie came to him.

"Finally, it took you long enough." Kokabiel smirked, looking behind him.

Without leaving any hints to his arrival, he saw none other than Vali standing behind him, once again donning his armor. He didn't respond to Kokabiel's reply, simply holding out his hand to the cadre.

"I got what you request me to find, so are you going to give me the information on my rival like you promised?" He questioned.

"Wow, so impatient." Kokabiel chuckled.

He tossed him a folder containing files on Ishie, and Vali opened it to see what looked like a 3-day old picture of her, walking to school in broad daylight without even knowing she had her picture taken. Looking over the details, he seemed disappointed in what he saw.

"Seriously? Just a normal student in high school?" He questioned.

**("Yeah, compared to your origins? Boring!")** Ddraig agreed.

Kokabiel shrugged in response.

"Don't look at me. After all, I had to fake that my summon failed just to get you that data. It's not my fault the results aren't what you expected them to be." He replied.

Vali burned the file, dropping the ashes on the ground.

"True, and I haven't seen her battle prowess just yet, so perhaps there's more to her than you saw. Anyways, just take your little toys and go." Vali replied, throwing a magic circle his way.

"Of course, and I won't eliminate the White Dragon's current host in return." Kokabiel promised, catching it.

He soon disappeared in his own magic circle, leading to Vali staring at where he was as he crossed his arms.

"I hope you'll be a worthy challenge for me, Ishie Hyoudou." He hoped.

* * *

**Yikes... this chapter ended on a scary note, or maybe more than one, depending on how you choose to look at it. I tried to go for a different tone due to the nature of the scenes where Ishie feels down at the cafe and the reveals tied to Raynare's dying words, but since I've never really used them before, I don't know how well they came out. If they did affect this chapter's quality? The good news is they're both a one-time thing.**

**One other thing is like, the V1 adaption, the arc will be shorter and rearrange the order of some scenes to fit the changes that were (ironically) introduced in the Raynare arc. While I can't completely guarantee it right now, it's very unlike this will happen to any other arcs in the story. Also, despite how I used scenes from the first three S2 episodes, this arc should at least be another two chapters.**

**Anyways, there's been a few things that have happened since we last saw everyone at the start of May, one of which is Kiryuu's finally appeared. Since she came out of nowhere from what I recall, I decided she should be a transfer student, as that explains her suddenly appearing. Also, to fit how Issei and Saji had a slight bond over being their King's respective Pawns, I decided for Momo to take that role for Ishie as a result of their Tennis game.**

**I bet no one expected the surprise twist of me having Kokabiel be Ishie's client in place of Azazel, but considering the reveal that this story's Raynare just happens to be her father? It felt fitting to switch them out as a forewarning to our heroes. Especially since as Rias mentioned, he was in the perfect position to kill Ishie without anyone to stop him. This will also have an effect on Azazel, since he and Ishie didn't meet.**

**Until next time everyone, and stay awesome! ^^**


	10. Tears of a Bishop

**Here we are with the next chapter, and before we begin? Here's something that I forgot to mention in the previous chapter about why Lint has appeared so early. Unlike my Legend of the Heavenly Dragons story that includes an adaption of Slashdog and the lesser known Denpachi's events, Daydreamer Dragon uses neither of them. The best I can say in response to that is like with Mitsuya, the Tobio of this story is very different.**

**This is why Akeno's backstory has her killed by her neighbors, rather than the Himejima Clan like in canon. For now, the most that I can say is keep an eye out during this chapter, as the decision to exclude Slashdog from this story's timeline was decided over a small detail I'll be revealing during its events. So, getting back to the actual start notes for this chapter...**

**Everything just a turn for the worst on the Devil and Angel side, since the basic goal of Kokabiel's plans have come into light now that it's become clear that Raynare was Kokabiel's daughter. If he planned for that or just used it as a backup? Who knows, so that's up to you. The main problem is how Lint took her death as a confirmation that he wants to continue the Great War... which in this story, is still technically on-going, but in a Cold War form.**

**Wish our heroes luck, because this won't be an easy fight. Now, let's begin!**

* * *

**[Chapter 10 - Tears of a Bishop]**

Ishie groaned as she slowly regained consciousness.

"Ugh... my head..." She groaned, rubbing her temple.

It took a while before she could blink away all the blurriness in her eyes, which is when she saw everyone in the same position as before. Then after a few more seconds... a feeling that she was wet.

Lowering her head slightly, she her school uniform was now soaking wet, making her blush as she realized her pink bra could be seen.

"Akeno!" Ishie screamed.

"Huh? Y-You can't assume it's me!" Akeno replied, waving her hands.

Ishie gave her a deadpan look.

"Says the only wizard-type I know who can use water magic." Ishie pointed out.

She flinched in response, causing Rias to snicker slightly at her exposure.

"Here, let me help out." Line offered.

She generated some heat from her flames, and since the fire itself didn't touch her? Ishie's clothes dried off without any risk to herself.

"Thank you. Now, how long was I out?" She replied, looking curious.

"Just about 2 minutes before Akeno got impatient." Koneko remarked.

Akeno blushed in response, realizing no one was going to let that go anytime soon, before Ishie looked at Lint.

"So, why is it that Kokabiel's daughter dying because of us a means to restart war?" She asked, looking nervous.

She let a sigh, looking at Ishie.

"Because the only thing the evidence would show is you killed her while she was just passing by. Kokabiel could use that, or anything between a serious to fatal injury if she had survived, as a way to retaliate against her murderer/injurer/crippler." Lint explained.

Ishie froze at that, feeling herself start to sweat.

"With how Rias or Sona are here, he could just imply they got hit in the crossfire of protecting any of their servants. Kokabiel could get Fallen Angels loyal to him to attack, and the Devils who support Sirzechs and Serafall would do the same, leading to them fighting. Before long, the Angels would also be dragged into the fight." She continued.

"T-That easily?" Ishie asked.

Rias soon realized something.

"It's possible that's the other reason he stole only half of the Excalibur blades, because he knew the church would send people here. Your deaths would make it hard to prove when you were here and already involving the Angels through the church merely being present." She realized.

Xenovia's eyes widened at that.

"In other words, our own presence here has already put all three sides at risk... that Fallen Angel's a sick bastard." Xenovia remarked, looking angry at herself.

**("No, he's simply a good strategist. Living through the entire century of the war has given him plenty of planning experience.")** Albion disagreed.

She said nothing in response, just turning her head away.

"Main point here is we _cannot_ let Kokabiel's plans succeed, because if we were to fail... I can't even imagine it. Back during the 1300's, Humanity's numbers were between a mere 400 million, which was low enough that they couldn't notice the fighting. That number's grown to around 7 billion, so any fighting risks incredible damage." Lint warned.

Ishie swallowed upon hearing that.

"At this point, it's clear this temporary partnership is the best hope both our factions and all of Humanity as a whole. That's why we should all take time to let this sink in and prepare for a dangerous battle. Not only that, but I'm going to see if the church can send over its other Longinus user to help even the odds." She continued.

"The Angels have two Longinus wielders on their side?" Ishie asked in surprise.

"That's right, as do the Fallen Angels, whereas the Devils didn't have any until you joined them." Irina confirmed.

"Not true. We did have one other, albeit I don't know which one or who it's wielder is." Rias corrected with a smile.

She was surprised by that.

"Foot? Raise up and insert yourself into your open mouth." Xenovia remarked.

"Eh... heh, heh." Irina laughed in embarrassment.

Lint stood up, prompting Irina and Xenovia to do the same, and looked at Rias.

"We'll go report to headquarters now. Before that, may I ask for a favor?" She asked.

"What kind of favor?" Rias inquired.

"Just a place where the three of us can stay until our job is over. Before now, we've had to reside in the church, and all of us would prefer to take a bath without having to... well, I think you get the idea. In return, we have two pieces of information we'll share, one of which I believe your Knight would enjoy." Lint answered.

Kiba's eyes widened at that.

"Fair enough. So, what are these pieces of information?" Rias agreed, looking interested.

"Well, first off? There was another survivor of the Holy Sword Project." Lint revealed.

Kiba gasped, feeling his eyes shake.

"Tell me... what's their name?" He asked, wanting a certain name to be said.

Lint looked at Xenovia, who nodded.

"Her name is Tosca." She answered.

Hearing that name, Kiba fell to his knees, feeling tears flow from his eyes. Ishie noticed this, wondering who this Tosca was.

"She's alive... she's alive!" He repeated, crying slightly.

"Who's Tosca?" Ishie asked.

"From what I know, she was the oldest person in the project, being the same age all of us are now. We're not sure how, but it seems that Tosca had a Sacred Gear that was able to protect her from the poison gas. The downside is that she became comatose afterwards, and her body hasn't aged a day, ever since it happened." Xenovia answered.

She sighed, lowering her head.

"Despite our efforts, we can't wake her up, so perhaps it may be better if we give you to her once all of this is over. You may be able to do what we can't by reincarnating her, or perhaps Asia's healing might wake her." Xenovia continued.

"Thank you, I think that would help dissolve some of the guilt Kiba had to have one of his old friends back in his life, especially one his words implied was fairly important to him." Rias agreed.

Lint then looked at Ishie with a nervous look on her face.

"And for the second piece of info? Ishie, you should know that for the past 5 years... the Red Dragon has been awake." She revealed.

Her eyes widened, and a slight gasp escaped from Albion.

**('So, I have the disadvantage this time...')** He thought.

'Five years? If his host were to find me now, then I'll likely get killed! This is bad!' Ishie panicked, shaking like a chihuahua.

**('Ishie, breathe.')** Albion replied.

Listening to her partner, she took a deep breath and then let it out. Asia soon began rubbing her back.

"Are they one of..." Rias nervously asked.

"No, the Red Dragon seems to be allies with the Gods of Asgard, since his nickname is the Raudrwurmkonungr." Irina answered.

Albion sighed at that.

**("Really? His nickname is the same as Ishie's, but if translated into Norse linguistic root?")** He questioned.

Ishie blinked in surprise.

**("I've been trapped in a pair of metal wings, there's not much else to pass time besides learning the 700 years of knowledge within in each of my hosts.")** Albion explained.

"That suddenly explains how you know so much about my daydreams..." She realized, blushing a little.

Rias soon summoned her familiar.

"Here, follow my familiar. She'll guide you to a place you can stay for the night." Rias stated.

"Understood, and thank you for the kindness." Lint replied.

She began heading towards the door, with Xenovia and Irina following her.

Ishie looked at them, knowing tomorrow... things were going to get hectic.

* * *

The sun was setting by the time everyone went back home, with Ishie and Asia, along with Kiba and Koneko being shown walking home together.

While they waited for a light to chance, Ishie noticed Kiba in thought.

"Hey Kiba, are you alright?" She asked, waving a hand in front of his eyes.

"Huh? Oh, sorry... I guess my mind's still in shock that Tosca was able to survive, after thinking that I had been the only one to survive." He replied, apologizing slightly.

Ishie didn't say anything in reply.

"Was she someone important to you?" Asia asked, slightly curious.

Kiba rubbed his head slightly, wondering how he should answer that.

"Depends on how you're asking that. Tosca was kind of like a big sister to everyone else in the project, someone that helped us all stay hopeful and believe, while making sure that we'd all survive by keeping our faith and treating us if hurt or sick. Considering the results he wanted at the time, Valper didn't stop her." Kiba answered as he blushed.

Ishie caught that, making her feel a little sad as she did, while Kiba continued finding a good way to describe her.

* * *

_A young Kiba, back during his days of the project when he was still known as Isaiah, was seen crying in the corner. This caught the attention of a girl with hair like his if Kiba were a girl and it was longer, being held back by a blue hairband._

_She walked over and held him close, making his cries turn to sniffles as he looked her in the eye._

_"Don't give up on yourself Isaiah, we all came here for a reason. Let's not give up on ourselves when everyone here is still fighting to one day earn the favor of an Excalibur." Tosca encouraged._

_"But... but how? No one's even gotten close!" He asked, sniffling as he did._

_She kneeled down and rubbed his head._

_"Perhaps that's the point. A sword like Excalibur wants to see our dedication as what makes us worthy of wielding it, so as long as we continue to believe, something will happen." She smiled._

_Kiba sniffled once more time before nodding, wanting to believe in those words._

_However, it was at that very moment the men in the gas masks stormed inside. Seeing them aim, Tosca immediately grabbed Kiba close, quickly falling as the gas began to invade her body and choke her._

* * *

Ishie's eyes widened as he heard the last part of that story.

"Tosca shielded you?" She asked.

"Had she not done that, there's a chance I wouldn't have been able to reach Rias like I did. Guess in a sense, she's also part of the reason I'm still alive." Kiba confirmed.

Hearing that, Ishie noticed something in Kiba's eyes that made her go silent. However, only Koneko seemed to notice, despite her own silence.

"Come on Kiba, the light's red." She mentioned.

Kiba looked up to see the light was now red.

"Sorry about that. Anyways, wee you two tomorrow." Kiba replied, waving goodbye to them.

He and Koneko soon crossed the street.

"I knew he lost friends, but it never occurred to me he lost someone truly important to him..." Ishie whispered.

"Ishie?" Asia asked, only hearing her voice.

She blushed as she realized Asia could hear her.

"Nothing! Let's just hurry back before my mom starts asking questions, as I don't want to try explaining why neither of us were in class today!" Ishie replied, waving her hands in an erratic manner.

Asia blinked in confusion, unsure of what Ishie was doing whatever she was with her hand.

* * *

Rias and Sona were seen in a bath area, where Sona was being told of everything that happened.

"So, that's why they came here..." Sona realized.

"It's shocking enough to learn one of them possessed the Incinerate Anthem, but to learn of Kokabiel's presence here, and how Ishie took out his own daughter?" Rias replied.

"I agree. So, with that in mind, how do we plan to fight a Fallen Angel leader whose clearly leagues about us?" She agreed.

Rias let out a deep breath at Sona's words.

"The worse part of this? They also revealed the Red Dragon's awake, and that he's with the Norse Gods, which means after this is over... what will happen next?" Rias added.

Sona was surprised by that.

"Are you serious? The Red Dragon is allied to Asgard?" Sona asked, making sure she heard Rias correctly.

"They are... and that already says a lot. The Red Dragon relies more on offense due to its power being opposite to the White Dragon's, and the Asgardians are also called the Viking Gods, so their current wielder is incredibly powerful." She confirmed.

Sona sighed, realizing the problem.

"It also means there's a risk the Red Dragon isn't going to take any excuses when he finds Ishie, who clearly isn't ready to fight him. Being allied to the Gods that believe in fate would likely mean he'd just take Ishie's power as it is and then say fate decided to make her lose." Sona stated.

"Exactly, which is why I've asked my brother to keep an eye out everywhere between here and Europe so we can make sure they don't sneak through." Rias confirmed.

She went a bit silent after that.

Sona picked up on it, but before she could say something in response.

"Do you think... that I made a mistake?" Rias asked, sounding sad.

"Hmm?" Sona asked.

"Back when I first noticed Ishie's power, it was so sudden and without warning that I didn't have time to do anything besides slip her a flier in case the worst happened. That was something that I truly believed at the time. However, after seeing her when she realized what this meant with her best friend, and now Kokabiel's threat?" She continued.

She let out a sigh, lowering her head.

"I'm starting to wonder if I was just too cowardly, or maybe even prideful, to just go downstairs and talk to her at that very moment. If I had, then maybe she wouldn't have been..." Rias wondered, starting to blame herself.

"Do you regret saving her? Is that what you're saying?" Sona inquired.

"What!? Of course not! How dare you say-" Rias shouted, looking angry.

"Exactly my point." She smiled.

Rias froze at that, prompting Sona to continue.

"Didn't you tell me this yourself while we talked over strategies you could use over Riser? _It feels like I've adopted a little sister_, if I recall correctly. Regardless of the reasons she became a Devil... I truly believe Ishie was meant to become your Bishop that day." Sona continued.

Rias gasped.

"We're all afraid right now, but I remember what Momo told me after their talk finished. Even after what she learned today? Ishie doesn't regret becoming a Devil, at least not anymore if she ever did, and that's something I'm sure of." She finished.

"Sona..." Rias breathed.

She smiled in response.

"Thank you, I really needed to hear that. We won't be able to win this fight if we give up before it begins." Rias stated.

Sona smiled.

"Now there's the Rias I know." She remarked.

At that moment, magic circles appeared as their respective Queens projected from them.

"We've finished scouting around the town for any signs of suspicious activity." Akeno stated.

"Thanks for the hard work." Rias smiled.

"So, did you notice any signs of suspicious activity?" Sona inquired.

"Yeah, and that's probably the surprising part." Tsubaki confirmed.

Both of them raised an eye at that.

* * *

Ishie and Asia finally made to back home, where they heard the sound of Ishie's mother talking to someone.

"That's weird, dad shouldn't be home yet." Ishie remarked.

Both of them followed her voice to the living room, where they both gasped in surprise as they saw her talking to none other than... Irina!

"And that's how Xenovia ended up deciding to keep her hair short." Irina revealed.

"Oh my, I'm not sure what to say beyond that's an odd way of getting a haircut, but whatever works." Ishie's mother giggled.

Only then did she notice her children by the door.

"Welcome home you two." She said with a smile.

Ishie blinked a few times before looking at Irina, pointing a shaky finger at her.

"Irina? Why are you here? I thought you were going to a hotel?" Ishie asked.

"That was the plan, but... we could only afford a room that could properly fit two people!" She revealed, laughing in embarrassment.

Ishie nearly face faulted at that.

"So, I decided that I'd come here and sleepover, especially since I wanted to visit your mom." Irina continued.

'I get the feeling you just made an excuse to come here.' Ishie thought.

"Ishie, do you mind getting the spare sleeping bag? I'd like to continue talking with Irina for a while." Her mother requested.

"Alright." She replied.

Heading upstairs as Irina followed, a brief silence followed before Ishie's mother continued speaking.

"By now, you've probably noticed how much Ishie's changed since you last saw her." She mentioned.

"I have... it never felt right when I had to leave." Irina confirmed.

Ishie's mother nodded her head, letting out a brief sigh in the process.

"Truth is that after you left? She fully drowned into her fantasy worlds, trying to escape reality. There was even a point in April where out of nowhere... she told me to get rid of all her fairy tales." She revealed.

Hearing that, Irina's eyes widened in disbelief.

"No way, did that include her..." She asked.

"Even I was scared by that, but luckily, she bounced back pretty fast. Now that one story is the only one she keeps in her room." Ishie's mother confirmed.

Irina sighed in relief.

"I really should have been here, and it hurts me how life had different plans for my family. Though it isn't surprising God wasn't able to answer every prayer." She said sadly.

Tears filled her eyes before she wiped them.

"Sorry if that made you lose faith in-" Ishie's mother apologized, looking slightly guilty.

"No, that's not what I meant! It just helped me realize God has limits. The world would be perfect if he didn't, and that let me realize he has limits." Irina reassured her.

A sigh of relief left Mrs. Hyoudou's mouth.

At the same time, Ishie and Asia were within hearing range, standing on the stairs as the former lowered her head slightly.

"Ishie, what are they talking about?" Asia asked.

She took a deep breath.

"Hey, Irina?" Ishie asked.

Both Irina and her mother flinched as they realized she was within earshot, worried how she'd react.

"I need you to do something... something I don't have the strength to do myself." Ishie requested.

She showed surprise at that.

* * *

About an hour later, Ishie's mother opened the door to see all of the ORC gathered at the door.

"Hello everyone!" She greeted.

"Not sure why Ishie wanted us to come this late for a sleepover, but she's lucky our folks were OK with how last minute it was." Murayama remarked.

Mrs. Hyoudou gave an awkward laugh in response.

"Well, how about we go inside now?" She suggested.

They all went inside, and soon saw Irina along with Ishie and Asia, surprising everyone.

"Hey again." Irina greeted.

"Uh, Ishie?" Rias asked.

"Either the hotel didn't have room for all three of them, or she made up an excuse to come and visit my parents." Ishie replied, shrugging her shoulders.

Rias felt a sweat drop form on her face.

'Somehow, despite not knowing her like you do? I feel that sounds just like her.' She thought.

Ishie stood up, walking towards the living room.

"Irina, take over from here." She said quietly.

Such a tone caught everyone by surprise, and Irina's usual chipper attitude faded as she prepared herself to say something sad.

"Everyone, the reason Ishie asked you here is because... she wants me to tell you some of the story she herself still can't." Irina revealed.

Hearing that caught everyone's attention.

"You mean... we're about to hear a general and less detailed version of her sad past?" Koneko asked.

"Yeah, and I can easily do that, because... I was there for the first of the two events." She confirmed.

"Two?" Katase repeated.

"It's one story, but one formed from two different occasions." Irina explained.

Ishie's mother walked into the room, holding something behind her.

"For all of you to get an idea, first... you'll need to see this." She began, handing it to Irina

She left before they could see her eyes water.

**[Date A Live II: Reminiscence]**

Irina then showed the image, revealing it was a picture of Ishie when she was only 5, with her parents behind her, and a boy and girl who looked to be 10 and 8 respectively.

"Who are those two?" Akeno asked.

"The one on the left is Ishie's older brother, and the one on the left is her older sister." Irina answered.

She felt her eyes begin to water.

"Both of them... aren't with us anymore." She said, as tears escaped her eyes.

Shock appeared in everyone's eyes, while in the living room, Ishie silently cried.

"Come here, there's something you should see." Ishie's mother suggested.

Everyone followed her into the kitchen they were normally barred from, soon seeing a cabinet that she opened up, with Asia gasping as she saw what it housed.

A memorial.

"Do you all mind paying your respects, just for a moment?" Ishie's mother asked.

She rang a bell, then closed her eyes before quietly clapped her hands together.

Everyone was quiet as they did the same.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I... need to be alone for a while." She asked, feeling the tears start to leak out.

She quickly left.

"So, are all of you ready to listen? Just know that you might regret hearing this. If any of you want to leave, feel free to do so now... I'm sure Ishie will understand." Irina asked.

"I am, and so is everyone here. She heard all of our stories, so if I walked away from this, then... I'd never forgive myself." Rias answered.

Everyone gave a nod of agreement.

Seeing this, Irina took a deep breath.

"The best I can tell you, without saying everything is, that Ishie's mother wasn't her father's first wife. He was originally married to a woman named Miki Mikoto, and they had many happy years together. Not long after that, she gave birth to Yuuki and Aiko, her son and daughter respectively. They were happy... but that didn't last." Irina explained.

"What happened?" Akeno asked.

"About three years after Aiko was born, she got really sick. A month after that... the disease won the battle." She answered, briefly looking away.

Hearing that made Akeno go quiet. She knew how that felt, even if illness didn't kill her mother.

"He was heartbroken, and left with the stress of raising his kids both emotionally and financially... he almost went onto a dark road. However, half a year after his wife died? A new light into his life... that light was Ishie's mother." Irina continued with a smile.

She took a moment to breathe before continuing.

"At first, she was merely a nanny who helped raised his children while he was at work, but before long? It was like she had always been their mother, and she loved them as if they were her own. It wasn't any surprise when Gorou fell in love with her, and on the anniversary of his first wife's death, he finally decided to propose to her." She revealed.

"Her father has got some balls if he recovered that fast." Koneko praised.

Irina giggled at that.

"Yeah, and a few months later? Yuuki and Aiko found out their new mother was pregnant. Not long after that, Ishie was born." She continued.

Tears soon returned to her eyes, falling out even faster.

"But tragedy struck again after Ishie turned 5, when Yuuki suddenly got sick just like his birth mother had." She revealed.

"As in... the same illness?" Kiba asked.

"I honestly don't know, that's something neither Ishie or her parents told me or my family, but he was in the hospital for a while. It was around that time he decided to draw a book for his little sister in case anything happened." Irina continued.

She held that book up, which Ishie's mother had left there for her to show once she got to this point of the story. Asia gasped as she recalled seeing it before her adoption.

"I've seen that before." Asia realized.

"Yeah, the book her brother began, and then her sister finished. Yuuki lived longer after he got sick, but on a certain day she came for a visit... he finally lost the battle and he passed away. Worse was as Aiko went to get the doctors? She fell to the ground, and I think you can tell what happened, both to her and Yuuki." She revealed, crying slightly.

Rias lowered her head.

"Her sister got sick before she could make it a doctor, didn't she?" She realized.

"Yeah, and both she and I were there to see Yuuki pass away. It was the hardest thing I ever had to see. Especially since back then, neither of us understood what was going on because we were just too young." Irina verified.

She wiped her eyes.

"Ishie eventually turned 6 and began school, and during a day she was excited to show Aiko something she made? She ran into the room... and then saw a nurse cleaning an empty hospital bed. Realizing her sister was gone, she just... broke. I did my best to hold her together, but then my family had to move, and she was alone." Irina continued.

Irina breathed one last time, closing her eyes.

"That's all I can say until she tells you the full story, but... that's how losing her siblings and me moving away led her to drown in her fantasies just to escape the truth." She finished.

A dead silence filled the room once that was said.

**[Insert Song End]**

No one could be blamed for being left speechless. Rias, Akeno, Koneko, and Kiba may have all had their sad stories, but none of theirs were so... _human_ like Ishie's was.

"Of course, so that's why Ishie told me her story was like all of ours." Rias realized.

Everyone looked at her.

"Like me, she's guilty over what happened, even if she had no fault in her case." She answered.

She closed her eyes.

"Like Akeno, she lost a member of her family."

Akeno lowered her head.

"Like Kiba, she lost multiple people important to her."

Kiba did the same.

"Like Koneko, she kept trying to believe the reality before her wasn't true, even if the result was more definite in her case."

Koneko soon followed their lead.

"Finally, like Gasper... she hid herself from the world, albeit through her fantasies instead of physically hiding." Rias finished.

Irina didn't say anything, and simply nodded.

"To think all this time that her fantasies were a form of... uh, what's the right term I'm looking for?" Katase stated, looking confused.

"Escapism." Murayama sadly replied.

She let out a sigh as she closed her eyes.

"I didn't pay much attention to it until recently, but her eyes in that one photo of hers... they were wider, and looked fully awake. Even though she's recovered since then, her eyes haven't changed, eyes that seemed somewhat sleepy as if she were always dreaming." She realized.

Irina sighed, crossing her arms.

"That doesn't surprise me. Her love of fairy tales was born through the time she spent with her siblings before they died, since that was all they could really do while the both of them were sick. It's likely her way of keeping part of them alive." Irina assumed.

"She wouldn't be Ishie otherwise, but that doesn't mean we can't help lessen the pain in her heart. We owe it to her after she listened to all of our stories." Kiba smiled.

Irina teared up as she heard that.

"Yeah, and it's thanks to all of you that she's finally free of that illusion she trapped herself in. That's why..." She replied.

She finally began to cry.

"Once this is over and I head back, especially due to what it means for us due to where our paths have taken us... promise me all of you will keep watching over her in my place!" Irina begged, sniffling as she wiped her tears away.

"No, please don't..." Asia replied.

She began crying as well, not wanting to think about what Irina had just said.

"We will, _all_ of us." Rias said for everyone.

Hearing everything Irina, Asia, and the members of ORC had said? Ishie felt tears flow out of her eyes, making her smile as she wiped her tears away.

From near the top of the stairs, Ishie's mother smiled, happy that she had found so many wonderful friends.

* * *

Night soon came, and everyone was scattered across the floor as they slept in their sleeping bags, with Ishie still awake as she stared at the ceiling.

"Hey Ishie, are you still awake?" Irina whispered.

"Hmm? Oh, yeah, I'm still awake." Ishie answered, turning to the side.

Irina smiled in response.

"I had always heard the rumors about how the Gremory Family treats their servants, and I'm so glad Rias proved that was true. It seems like they really helped you when I couldn't be here to do the same." She replied.

A quiet chuckle released itself from Ishie's mouth as she heard that.

"Truth be told, it wasn't just them that helped. It kind of took me nearly dying again after running into Freed to wake me up before their words finally reached me. Still, even I can tell their friendship, along with Katase and Murayama's, along with Asia becoming my new sister wouldn't have been enough if it weren't for your support." Ishie admitted.

Hearing that made Irina blush slightly.

"Don't be embarrassed by that, I mean it when I say your friendship is important to me. That's why I've decided... that I'll die before fighting you. The church be damned if it means we have to become enemies for something beyond my control, along with anyone who claims otherwise." She continued.

"You know what? That's the same thing I decided, even if doing so gets me excommunicated or executed. While you may be a Devil now... that doesn't change you started as a Human." Irina replied, fully agreeing with her decision.

Both of them laughed slightly, with Koneko's eyes opening as a look of annoyance appeared on her face.

"Maybe we might be lucky and end up forming the first Heaven and Hell combination!" Ishie suggested.

"Like in those old live-action shows!" Irina mentioned.

They started to talk more and more, getting loud enough for Koneko to feel annoyed by their voices, making her grab a pair of pillows.

Both suddenly got hit by them and fell back, getting KO'd as their eyes became spirals.

* * *

Gorou yawned a bit as he walked inside his house, work having been somewhat stressful for the day.

Once he walked past the living room, he noticed Ishie and all her friends sleeping on the floor, and showing no surprise to Irina as a result of his wife texting him about it in advance.

"I don't know how this happened, but I'm glad." He remarked.

He soon walked upstairs, and once he got far close to the top.

"Remember that book you two made for Ishie? She still has it, and now it's become a symbol of sorts for the bonds she's made with her new friends." Ishie's mother smiled.

With those words, Gorou suddenly gasped, walking by the door to his and his wife's room as he silently listened to her.

"That's right, she's made a lot more friends than just Murayama and Katase, and they were just what she needed. I remember how rough it was when both of you left us, and Irina was forced to move away..." She continued.

Tears filled her eyes as she silently began shedding tears.

"Even now, the pain of your deaths hasn't gone away... I still feel it hurting me despite we weren't related by blood. There are times I wonder if that's made me influence how I've tried to raise my poor Ishie since then!" She wondered, starting to shake.

Gorou gasped as he heard what she said.

"But don't worry, I'm OK, and so are Ishie and your father. In fact, I think... maybe it's time I stop being so afraid. What happened to both of you, it made me so scared that the same thing might eventually happen to her." She admitted.

'Wow, I... I had no idea.' He thought.

Wiping her tears, Ishie's mother took a deep breath and flashed a smile towards their pictures.

"However, as of what I saw today? Now I realize how silly that was. She's walking her own path now, and I'm certain she won't follow either of you, so it's time I finally give her this." She decided.

Opening part of the frame's backside, she took something out before walking to the door.

It was at the same time that Gorou attempted to open it... and got slammed into the wall.

"Dear!?" She asked in horror.

"No worries, I'm alright... it's just a few bruises." Gorou groaned.

She opened the door.

"I'm so sorry! Also, when did you get home?" She asked.

"Just recently enough to have heard everything you said." Gorou admitted.

Her face turned bright red at that.

"So, are you sure? I mean... while I'm not questioning your judgment or anything, you know the moment you give that to her, there's no turning back." He asked.

"Even if I wanted to, there's something's telling me she'll need it in the days ahead." She answered, completely certain.

Gorou saw the look in her eyes and nodded.

* * *

The following morning, everyone saw seen eating breakfast around the living room area. Since the table only had room for six, only the usual four of the Hyoudou Family and Irina were currently eating at it while Ishie's mother delivered everyone their food.

Once she delivered everyone else's plates, she returned to the table with her own as she began eating. Irina could be heard making sounds of delight as she blushed and ate more of Mrs. Hyoudou's delicious food after more than a dozen years.

"Even now, I don't think anyone's cooking surpasses that of yours Mrs. Hyoudou!" Irina remarked, taking another bite.

Ishie's mother giggled at the compliment.

"Thanks Irina, but I think as of recently, my daughter has challenged that title." She mentioned.

"Really?" Irina asked in surprise.

"Yeah, that's what my dad said to me the other day." Ishie remarked.

"Then you totally need to cook me something before I go." She decided.

Ishie blushed at that.

Shortly after, everyone began leaving to head towards the old school building for the day, but before Ishie could walk out of the house?

"Ishie, one second." He mother requested.

"Hmm?" She blinked, looking at her.

Before she could fully react, she felt her mother place something around her neck, causing her to look down and see it was a necklace with a unique gemstone hanging from its thread.

"What is this?" Ishie asked.

"Something you should know about the story Irina told for you, specifically how I helped your father through a tough time? You should know he did the same for me as well." She revealed.

Ishie looked at her in surprise.

"This was something I wore at that time, and your grandma passed this down to me for that very reason. It's time you wore this and always remember... you are never truly alone as long as you have people who have faith in you. Remember that, and make sure you and your friends have faith in each other, that way no matter what the challenge ahead of you is? There's always a chance." Her mother continued, putting her hands on Ishie's shoulders.

Her eyes widened at what her mother said.

"Mom..." She breathed, looking amazed.

She took a deep breath and then nodded her head, feeling a sense of confidence in her.

"Right!" Ishie exclaimed.

Ishie ran off to catch up with the others, causing her mother to smile at her.

'I don't know when that necklace will unlock your true potential, but I know that I'm making the right choice here... so, keep moving forward with all you've got.' Her mother thought.

Gorou put a hand on her shoulder, smiling alongside her.

* * *

School quickly ended for the day, which was when everyone gathered in the old school building, including the Student Council as Tsubaki revealed an image of a familiar area to the Gremory Team.

"That place... isn't it where I fought my first Stray Devil?" Ishie asked.

"It is, and Tsubaki claims she noticed something there." Rias confirmed.

"Take a look at this video I was just barely able to capture." Tsubaki stated.

Forming a magic circle, everyone watched as they saw a shadow rush by at a speed rivaling that of a Knight's, with a slight glow following behind them. Seeing that, Lint felt herself gasp as saw it.

"Excalibur Rapidly... that sword gives the user power that rivals that of an average Devil Knight, and that silhouette is definitely Freed's!" She stated.

Her fists tightened as she glared at the image.

"So, how are we going to handle this?" Irina asked.

"Probably best that we give him what he wants. Freed clearly wants to cut us Devils down, and I've faced off with him once before. He even said something about how he's never had to deal with the same Devils twice... which implies he'll want to finish our battle." Kiba suggested.

"Then let's set up a tactic for that, along with a backup plan in case something else might happen, either from Kokabiel or Valper's choices." Lint decided.

Sona adjusted her glasses before taking out a notebook.

"Alright, looking at everyone here? This is how we'll set up everyone to cover the expected plan and anything that might chance. For the obvious team, these are the clearest choices to make." She stated.

Writing up all the areas and incorporating everyone in the room, surprising the church trio.

'Whoa! She's really fast!' They thought.

"Kiba and Ishie will join up with Irina and Ruruko and head towards the pavilion to cover the West side of town, since if Freed ends up finding them, then Irina's experience and synergy with Ishie will be beneficial. While for his speed, Ruruko has a counter for it." Sona revealed.

Ishie shrugged in response.

"You did give Rias all of her strategies for our Rating Game against Riser, so I'll trust your judgment on this." She decided, looking confident.

"Yeah, I feel the same." Kiba agreed.

Sona then looked at Lint, who quickly shifted her focus towards what she'd say.

"Since Ishie is a Longinus user and is covering the West side of town, I'd like you to be on the East side while pairing up with Xenovia, along with Koneko and Tsubasa." Sona continued.

"Makes sense, keep each side even." Lint realized.

Everyone listened in as Sona revealed the other teams.

* * *

Night soon fell, and everyone was gathered into their respective teams as they were shown wearing exorcist outfits like the church trio, with each group having someone in a priest outfit just to help shake things up.

"Albion, anything out of the ordinary to you?" Ishie whispered, looking at her right hand.

**("Not yet, but I definitely feel a strong presence here. Be careful.")** He warned.

She nodded, and the group got near the pavilion, but once they did... a familiar cackling began echoing through the air. Ishie, Kiba, and Freed felt their eyes widen as all of them recognized who it belonged to.

"Looks like he wasn't intent on hiding from us, was he?" Irina glared.

Freed soon dropped into view, holding Excalibur Rapidly in his hands.

"Well, if it isn't the house of gag me Gremory! I've been waiting for you since our previous late-night session got cancelled!" He smirked, swinging his blade around.

Hearing this, everyone but Irina threw off their exorcist cloaks (or priest outfit in Kiba's case), readying themselves for battle. Kiba's living armors quickly appeared.

"Ishie, give me aerial support!" Kiba shouted.

"You've got it!" Ishie replied.

She formed her Sacred Gear and took to the sky, right as Kiba and his armors rushed towards Freed, who did the same.

"Fling as many of yourselves at me as you want, but you won't be able to overcome my Excalibur!" He laughed.

Irina hid herself, readying to steal the sword with Excalibur Mimicry when given the chance, with Ruruko doing the same as she waited for the perfect chance.

'Kiba, be careful.' Ishie thought, watching from above.

Kiba and Freed clashed with each other as the psychotic exorcist quickly sped up and slashed through his Glory Drag Troopers.

"No, he took out my Balance Breaker!" he shouted.

"And now, time for my climax!" Freed announced.

With that, Ruruko jumped into view and kneeled like she was a track runner getting ready to sprint.

**"Procellarum Phantom!"**

A pair of greaves and armor formed on her legs, right before she sprinted... only to disappear without a trace! While Irina was showing surprise, the world around Ruruko was now moving in slow motion.

'Alright Freed, let's see how you like running with a broken leg!' She thought.

Dashing ahead, she held out her legs and kicked directly at his right kneecap.

*"SNAP!"*

Time began moving like normal for her, with Freed suddenly screaming as the pain of a shattered bone finally reached his senses. Ishie's eyes widened as she saw this.

"Ruruko, what did you do?" She asked.

"This is my Sacred Gear, which gives me the power to slow time around me to a point I can run even faster than Kiba." Ruruko answered.

Ishie's eyes widened.

"Sona's peerage may be weaker than ours when it comes to power, but her numbers and how everyone besides her has a Sacred Gear makes up for that difference." Kiba remarked.

She nodded in response feeling herself sweating slightly.

'Looks like they'll be powerful rivals for us.' Ishie thought.

"Damn you!" Freed roared.

Ishie's eyes sharpened as she noticed him draw out his gun, and immediately dived down.

"Not so fast!" She shouted.

Looking into the sky, Freed's eyes widened as she smashed into where he was.

When the dust cleared, Freed wasn't anywhere where she had struck the ground, and somehow not anywhere close to it. This surprised everyone, right until they heard a low chuckle.

"No way, that voice..." Kiba gasped, turning his head.

Standing with Freed over his shoulder and a fading magic circle in his hand, the group saw a fat old man in his senior years. Kiba felt his face tighten at the sight of his face.

"It's you!" He shouted.

"Valper Galilei!" Irina shouted.

He laughed in response.

"The one and only, you little brats." Valper smirked.

Kiba dashed ahead.

"I'm not letting you get away!" He shouted.

"Sorry, but I'm on a tight schedule." Valper replied.

He threw something at the ground.

*"BANG!"*

A huge flash blinded everyone, and when it disappeared? Freed and Valper had disappeared.

"So, that's where he got those from..." Kiba realized, lowering his head.

**("Those didn't exist when I was in my previous host. It seems they allow the user to both flee and run off without leaving any trace.")** Albion remarked.

"As in you can't tell where they went?" Ishie asked.

He said nothing, with Ishie taking his silence as his answer, making her sigh as she slumped to her legs.

"Great, back at square one." She stated.

"I don't think that's the case..." Irina replied.

Everyone looked at her.

"The way Valper spoke just now? Maybe it's just me, but it was almost like he was saying... he's about to get serious." She nervously explained.

Hearing that, everyone had to wonder... right as a magic circle appeared by Ishie's ear.

"Hello? Please, tell me I'm getting through!" Rias shouted, sounding incredibly panicked.

"It's me Rias, what's wrong?" Ishie asked.

She briefly paused to take a deep breath, relieved that she got an answer.

"Hurry, it's... it's Lint! She was attacked and defeated!" Rias exclaimed.

"Say what!?" Ishie exclaimed.

"Lint was beaten!?" Irina shouted.

Kiba and Ruruko didn't vocalize their shock, instead releasing a loud gasp at the reveal that Lint had been beaten.

"Place down your flier, I'll have us jump over right away!" Ishie shouted.

She dispelled the magic circle before immediately formed her own under her feet.

No one wasted any time, walking inside before they vanished.

* * *

Rias watched the flier, backing away as she saw them arrive, and once they had... Irina gasped as she saw Lint's battle outfit had been shredded to pieces. Not only that, but Excalibur Blessing had disappeared.

Asia was currently healing her, but based on what she was seeing... it wasn't doing very much.

"Lint... Lint!" She shouted, rushing up to her.

Hearing Irina's voice managed to get Lint's eyes to briefly open as Irina kneeled by her side. She took her hand, looking worriedly at Lint as she looked towards her.

"What happened to you? Please, tell me!" Irina begged, her eyes watering.

"I got... separated from my team... I thought my Longinus would be enough to help me, but... it wasn't. Not against... against..." Lint replied.

She soon blacked out again, making Irina gasp.

"No, wake up Lint, please!" She begged.

Sona's peerage and the rest of the ORC members reappeared, leaving only Xenovia's whereabouts unknown.

"This is..." Tsubaki gasped, seeing how badly injured Lint was.

"Damn it... he made me split us into groups to take out the biggest threat to him, I played right into his hands." Sona remarked, feeling guilty.

Sona looked at Tsubaki.

"Hurry, take her to one of the medical facilities in the Sitri domain." She requested.

"Right." Tsubaki nodded.

Picking her up, she vanished in a magic circle.

"What exactly happened to her?" Saji asked.

"We don't know, she blacked out before she could explain anything beyond her team got separated." Ishie replied.

She looked at Koneko and Tsubasa, who both shook their heads.

"Once we got separated, so did our information link." Koneko explained.

"Doesn't help Xenovia isn't here." Tsubasa added.

It was only then that Ishie noticed the wielder of Excalibur Destruction had gone missing.

However, she didn't have time to focus as everyone besides Irina held their chests in pain.

"This feeling... he's here!" Rias realized.

Freed's laughter could soon be heard, appearing before both peerages and Irina, who immediately moved themselves into a defensive position.

"Nuh uh! If you do anything funny, you'll have to take it up with... my boss!" Freed smirked.

The sky darkened as hovering above him, with all ten wings spread out, was none other than Kokabiel himself! Ishie gasped as she saw his wings, making her shake slightly.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Rias Gremory." He greeted with a toothy smirk.

"Don't that polite facade, what are you doing here!?" Rias demanded, nearly gritting her teeth.

He laughed in response.

"After all those holy sword users have told you, do I really need to spell it out? I'm here to annihilate this town!" Kokabiel revealed.

Everyone gasped.

"You'd really kill all of these innocent people... just to reignite the Great War?" She asked.

"Innocent? When it comes to war, no one is innocent." Kokabiel retorted.

"That's nothing but complete bullshit, you psychotic war maniac!" Ishie shouted, feeling her anger growing by the second.

Kokabiel laughed at that.

"Devils don't really have the right to talk about that, considering it was your kind that started it! I'm just finishing what I started long ago!" He countered.

Ishie gave a confused look.

"He's talking about how, even if it was through him using surprise attack while they were weak and wide open, he's the one who killed the original Satans." Irina revealed.

"Wait, what did you say?" Ishie gasped, feeling her eyes shake.

Kokabiel laughed, causing Ishie to stare at him as she began sweating.

"Had the war continued, the Fallen Angels would have won! Because of that, I'm going to prove we're the best by killing the little sisters of the current Lucifer and Leviathan, and by slaying the White Dragon!" He declared.

Freed began cackling as he grabbed the sides of his coat, letting his laughter get even louder.

"I'm getting excited for war as well! Especially since I've gathered all of these!" He announced.

Pulling it open, everyone gasped as what they saw.

Pockets that held six of the seven Excalibur blades.

"No way, six Excalibur blades? But, how did he get... wait, it couldn't be!" Irina questioned, only to gasp as she looked at her arm.

Excalibur Mimicry's string had disappeared, making her gasp in horror.

"Real smart of you to make it a string that someone could untie and grab without you feeling a thing!" Freed mocked.

Irina's face went blue at that.

"And now, there's only one thing left for me to say... nice day for a war, isn't it!?" Kokabiel announced.

He held out his hand, unleashing a storm of light spears.

Rias gasped before countering them with her own power, creating a wall of dust that blinded everyone was Kokabiel fled. Koneko was able to catch this before he disappeared from view.

"What's going on? Is he going to attack again?" Ishie asked.

"No, I just saw him heading towards the academy..." Koneko revealed.

Everyone looked in that direction.

"There's no choice now. If we don't stop Kokabiel here, then not only will the Great War resume... all of us will die!" Rias realized.

"All of you, go on ahead." Irina stated.

Ishie looked at her with a confused expression.

"I need to try and find Xenovia, especially after what they did to Lint. Besides, without our Excalibur blades, we won't be able to fight... not until we grab new swords." She explained.

Hearing that, Ishie nodded her head.

"OK, we'll hold down the fort for now." She replied.

"Everyone, let's go." Rias stated with determination.

With those words, everyone headed towards the battlefield, ready for the fight of their lives.

A fight... that they _had_ to win.

* * *

**This is it... Kokabiel's plans have reached their fever pitch, and now it's time for everyone to make their last stand. However, that wasn't the biggest reveal in this chapter, as you've finally gotten the basic version of Ishie's sad story. Taking how V20 revealed that Issei had two siblings who were never born as a result of two miscarriages... I created the sad tale you saw take up most of this chapter.**

**As revealed by Xenovia, we're having Tosca make an eventual appearance in the coming chapters. The main difference is the Tosca of this story was already older, so while she still didn't age, Kiba and her are now the same age. She also looks a bit different since I re-read the manga and noticed a girl hugging Kiba in one panel, and decided to make her Tosca's older appearance because of said hug.**

**Last chapter had a few people notice there was something about Ishie's mother that didn't seem to be natural, and I knew most people would notice this, so there was little reason to hide that. With that mysterious necklace she's given to Ishie, it won't be much longer before you find out what she's talking about and the secrets behind Ishie's heritage.**

**Finally, we have the reveal that this story's Vali is allied with the Norse Pantheon from the start. This is why Slashdog's events don't happen, since without him there to help out in certain events, too many events change. As for the reason he's with them from the start? Because there's a Vali in Norse mythology, and I really wanted to use that because of how Odin adopted him when Rizevim made his debut, and yet... that's all Ishibumi did with it.**

**Until next time everyone, and stay awesome! ^^**


	11. Fallen Ferocity

**This is it, the final battle of the Excalibur arc where our heroes will fight try to take down Kokabiel despite their chances of doing so are next to impossible at this point in the story. Lint has been taken out of the game, leaving them without the power of the Incinerate Anthem that could even the odds, and they need to wait for Irina to find Xenovia and then get new swords before either can join the fight.**

**While Ishie having the Divine Dividing is the main difference here... the problem is since she doesn't have her Balance Breaker, she has to touch Kokabiel to drain any of his power. For obvious reasons, Kokabiel's not going to let her do that, meaning she has to think smart if she wants to divide him without being put in a spot where he can stab a light spear through her. She may have survived all of Raynare's, but since Kokabiel is stronger...**

**Not only that, but Valper has all but Excalibur Ruler in his possession, so Freed's got an even stronger Excalibur that can empower the holy energy inside of him through Excalibur Blessing's power and hit harder through Destruction's power. Needless to say? This battle is going to take everyone, and how they'll win is the biggest question of all.**

**Anyways, that's all I needed to say, so... let's get this chapter started!**

* * *

**[Chapter 11 - Fallen Ferocity]**

The scene opened at Kuoh Academy as Sona, Reya, and Momo began generating a barrier around the academy. Sona was also using her demonic power to create a magical field that hid said barrier from human eyes.

At the same time, most of Kuoh Town's citizens were being evacuated by the rest of her peerage under the ruse that there were signs of an incoming storm.

"I still can't believe we were able to make convincing storm sounds." Koneko remarked.

"Let's just be glad that it worked. While I don't want to assume the worst? Our opponent is a cadre who managed to kill the Satans regardless of how, and we may not come out of this alive. We have to save as many lives as we can." Rias replied, feeling the pressure.

For the first time, she understood the kind of decisions her brother was forced to make as the current Satan, and she couldn't lie... it was more terrifying than she could ever imagine.

Tsubaki returned at that time, getting everyone's attention.

"Tsubaki, how is Lint?" Sona inquired.

"She's still unconscious, but the doctors told me the damage wasn't lethal or permanent. Though I doubt she'll wake up in time to help us." She answered.

Sona nodded in response.

"Also, my sister didn't..." She asked, looking nervous for a moment.

"To our incredible luck? She was too busy with her show, so I doubt this will reach her until after the fighting ends." Tsubaki answered.

"Thank goodness." Sona sighed in relief.

Ishie blinked in confusion.

"I'm confused, isn't her sister not knowing about this a bad thing? You know, considering she's a Satan, and could-" She asked.

"Not Serafall, because if she found out about this? She might actually start the war we're trying to avoid under the thought that a Fallen Angel defiled her." Rias mentioned, looking a little embarrassed.

Sona blushed as Ishie's eyes went wide, followed by her letting out an awkward laugh.

"Speaking of older siblings, have you contacted Sirzechs yet?" Sona asked, looking at Rias.

"Akeno's taking care of that for me. With what's happening right now, I can't afford to turn my attention away for even a second." Rias answered.

It was at that very moment when Akeno appeared from a magic circle.

"I have good news and bad news, which do you want first?" She asked.

"Considering the situation? Let's start with the good news." Rias answered.

"Sirzechs is coming with Falbium Asmodeus and a moderate force of Devil soldiers, so we'll eventually have reinforcements." Akeno revealed.

At the mention of the word _eventually_, Rias felt a nervous feeling build in her chest.

"And the bad news?" She asked.

"It will take them an hour to get here, and based on what I told him? Grayfia mentioned that Kokabiel is likely trying to make a magic square that will destroy all of Kuoh town in a massive explosion that will go off in _less_ than an hour." Akeno answered.

Hearing that made everyone gasp in response.

"So, you're saying that if we can't destroy it... they won't be able to make it in time?" Ishie asked.

"Worse. A magic square is tied to an object, so the only way to destroy one is to destroy the object empowering it, and the object that's likely making it? One of if not all of the Excalibur blades." Akeno revealed.

"Of course." Ishie groaned, turning away as she shook her head.

Kiba formed a blade from his sword handle.

"Then let me take care of the Excalibur blades. All of this started when I was part of the Holy Sword Project, so if there's anyone should be ending this nightmare... it should be me." He requested.

"Kiba?" Rias said in surprise.

She looked at his eyes, expecting something like vengeance or anger... only she didn't.

This time, his eyes showed he was fighting for the one thing he now knew he still had.

"Just promise me that you won't die." She smiled.

"I promise, because I refuse to break the vow I made to you on the day you made me your Knight." He smiled back.

Seeing that, everyone smiled.

"This is the kind of thing we're fighting for... that's why we have to win this!" Ishie realized.

Rias looked at her in response.

"Ishie, I need you to stay on guard for a while and act as our healing support, since it's too dangerous for us to bring Asia into this fight." Rias stated.

"Any particular reason?" Ishie asked.

"Because it feels like Kokabiel may have something ready for you, considering what he did to Lint. Not to mention it would be very hard for you to use your divide against him due to the risks involved with you trying to get close enough to touch him." She explained.

Ishie was quick to flinch, recalling how easily Raynare once turned her into Swiss cheese through her light spears, and if she just barely survived that?

"Good point." She realized.

Rias turned her head to Akeno.

"Now, there's only one last thing we need to do before we begin. Akeno, I need you to lead everyone for a while I go to the old school building. Even if my brother didn't allow it, I have no choice... but to break the seal." Rias revealed.

She gasped at those words.

"Rias, are you sure?" Akeno asked.

"No, but the situation has forced our hands. He's at risk of getting killed if any of our or Kokabiel's attacks were to hit the old school building. He's part of my family, and I refuse to uphold a rule if it means we'll have to let him die." She answered.

Nodding her head, Akeno looked at everyone.

"Alright then, let's get going." She announced.

Kiba, Ishie, and Koneko all nodded their heads as they went inside, with Asia, Katase, and Murayama watching them go inside. Rias soon walked up to them, putting a hand on Asia's shoulders.

"Asia, how I'm going to reach Gasper will require one of my unused Rook to take my place. Can you keep it safe for me?" Rias requested.

"Of course." She promised.

Rias smiled, and soon vanished in a red glow, causing a White Rook to drop onto the ground. Asia picked it up, soon looking towards the battlefield as made a prayer motion.

* * *

Inside the old school building, Rias suddenly appeared in one of its hallways.

'Good, it doesn't seem like my arrival's been noticed, though I should hurry before that changes.' She thought to herself, feeling a drop of sweat slide down her cheek.

She rushed through the halls with the best speed she could move at without making much if any noise. After a minute or two, she made it to the forbidden room's door.

Taking a deep breath, she knocked on the door.

"Huh? W-Who's there!?" Gasper quickly panicked.

Rias made a shushing noise, making him stop as he recognized it somewhat.

"Try not make any noise or talk above a whisper." Rias warned as she sweated.

"Is that you Rias? What's going on?" He nervously asked.

"Me and the others are in trouble, and despite I'm still not allowed to free you... I need to undo the seal." She explained.

Gasper nearly screamed, but slapped his hand over his mouth to muffle it.

"No, I don't ever want to leave here! The outside is too scary!" He refused, shaking from inside his coffin.

Rias felt herself sweating, worried that she might not have enough time before her friends needed her.

However, as her confidence began to fail? She remembered what Ishie said when Riser's transformation almost caused everyone in her peerage to lose their confidence.

'You can do this!' She thought, encouraging herself.

She took a deep breath and tried again.

"Gasper, I know how you feel. How scary it is for you to have powers you can't control. To be afraid of people because of how both sides of your heritage treated you. That's why, right now... I truly need your help!" She continued, nearly shouting.

Gasper froze slightly as he heard that.

"Right now, there's someone outside putting not just me and the others, but this entire town who doesn't know what's going on, in danger! He's being scary on purpose, and wants nothing more to continue the Great War... which could take so many lives if he succeeds." Rias revealed.

"Even... ours?" He asked, suddenly more afraid than before.

"If he were to attack this place while you were still in here, and unaware of the danger... I'd never be able to forgive myself. That's why I'm begging you. Even if I have to seal you back inside when the fighting is over, lend me your strength! Because right now, if it means we can save everyone? You can lose control!" She begged.

Hearing that, Gasper went silent for a moment.

Rias looked at the door worriedly, part of her afraid that his words failed to reach him... until she saw the door slightly creak open.

* * *

As the above event was happening, Akeno led the others into the battlefield, where the sight of glowing gold magic streams was seen.

"Akeno, is that-" Ishie asked.

"That's definitely the creation process of a magic square. It isn't finished, so hopefully if we're lucky-" Akeno confirmed, focusing on it.

Laughter suddenly caught the group's attention, making them turn as they saw Kokabiel sitting on a flying throne of some kind.

"Sorry, but I'm not letting any surprises happen." He warned.

Ishie and Kiba readied their Sacred Gears, while Koneko assumed her true form. As they did, Kokabiel noticed Rias was absent.

"Where is Rias Gremory?" Kokabiel inquired.

"Don't worry, she'll be here soon enough. We just decided to not rush with all of members in one place." Akeno answered.

Kokabiel chuckled at that.

"Looks like you're not as foolish as most Devils your age. If you were, then this fight could have become too boring for me." Kokabiel remarked, raising a hand.

A few magic circles appeared from it before they slammed onto the ground. Once they did, five bursts of flame shot out as multiple Cerberus hounds appeared.

"No way, are you telling me that Cerberus is a species!?" Ishie asked.

"That's right. Luckily, they're just as weak to holy powers as any Devil." Akeno answered, generating her holy lightning.

Kiba swung his sword as his Glory Drag Troopers formed.

"Ishie, use your Division Barrier and hold it unless I say otherwise. I'll watch your back for now." Koneko stated.

Ishie nodded her head and moved her wings to shield herself.

The Cerberus pack charged towards the Gremory Team, prompting Akeno unleash her holy lightning against them. Kokabiel raised his eye as he saw her power. Looking at her work, Akeno gasped as the Cerberus was barely phased.

'Either I'm not strong enough to hurt a Cerberus, or Kokabiel had a good eye for picking out the stronger Cerberus.' She realized, sweating slightly.

Kokabiel laughed in response.

"I thought you looked familiar, but I never expected you to actually be Baraqiel's daughter!" He smirked.

"Don't you dare speak his name!" Akeno roared.

She combined her demonic lightning to the mix, sending the Cerberus she attacked towards Kokabiel's throne. He held his hand out, knocking it to the ground as it got back on its feet, and then roared before charging at her again.

Kiba shouted as he and his Glory Drag Troopers attacked another of the Cerberus hounds, swinging their holy swords across their bodies... with little to no success.

"Damn, these things are sturdy!" He shouted.

One of the hounds jumped near Ishie, though Koneko managed to grab its middle head and then toss it.

She then turned around to blast some hinotama at a second hounds that lunged at them from behind. Unfortunately, right after that? A third one fell towards her from the sky and caught her in its jaws.

"Ishie, hurry! I need... help!" Koneko shouted, feeling its fangs closing on her.

Ishie gasped as she unfolded her wings and flew towards Koneko, though quickly noticed she wasn't going to make it. Right as the fangs were about to chomp her...

"Koneko!" She screamed.

**("DIVIDE!")**

Suddenly, without any kind of warning? The Cerberus felt her power being sapped away! Realizing the monster had gotten weaker, Koneko swung her foot up, destroying its fangs.

As the beast fell to the ground, Koneko jumped out of its mouth.

"Ishie, what did you just do?" She asked.

"I'm not sure, but... I think my divide managed to activate from a distance!" Ishie answered.

Koneko looked at her with disbelief.

**("My divide and Ddraig's transfer abilities are normally limited to our hosts making contact, but every once in a blue moon? Our host are lucky enough that they can use said abilities from a distance.")** Albion explained.

Ishie's eyes widened before looking at Koneko.

"That means if you can keep their attention away, I can drain their power and then use it against them." She realized.

Koneko growled at that.

"Why did it have to be against freaking dogs!?" Koneko questioned.

"Eh... sorry about that." Ishie apologized, clapping her hands together.

The three Cerberus hounds immediately lunged at the two, and just as they were about to use Ishie's recent discover against them... something rushed by and made all three suddenly freeze in place.

*"SLASH!"*

All of them were immediately cut in half by holy energy, causing them to dissolve into flames as a familiar face looked their way.

"Need a little help?" Xenovia smirked.

"Xenovia, you made it!" Ishie smiled.

Sensing the deaths of their kin, the remaining Cerberus duo fighting Kiba and Akeno ran towards them, leaving them unaware of another figure falling towards them.

"Amen!" Irina shouted.

Swinging her own blade down, both were split in two before they also dissolved into flames. Landing on her feet, Irina smiled at the group.

"Sorry, I hope we weren't too late!" She asked.

"No, you made it just in time!" Ishie praised.

Akeno looked at their swords, letting out a gasp as she recognized their blades.

For Xenovia's? It was a uniquely shaped broadsword with a blue blade and a golden edge, being slightly taller than her. As for Irina's? it was a silvery-white blade that slightly resembled a cross, had some golden details, and had a slight glow.

"Those blades... they're Durandal and Galantine! Does this mean you had these as secret weapons all along?" She asked.

"You didn't really think the Incinerate Anthem was the only ace we brought, did you?" Irina questioned, giggling as she did.

Noticing they were distracted, Kokabiel readied a light spear and then threw it.

**("Ishie, look out! There's an attack coming from above!")** Albion warned.

Looking up, she gasped as she and everyone noticed Kokabiel's light spear, which came in too fast for them to dodge... until it suddenly turned purple and froze in midair.

"What the?" Kokabiel questioned.

"Hurry, move out of the way, now!" Akeno warned.

Everyone did, just as the spear resumed its movement and left a crater where all seven of them were just standing.

"Does anyone know what happened?" Ishie asked.

"That would be our doing." Rias answered.

Looking in the direction that was behind the spear, they saw Rias alongside a new face, which most of her peerage knew as her sealed Pawn.

He was shown to be a boy around Koneko's age, with platinum blond hair styled in a short bob cut with several small fringes over his forehead, pinkish-violet eyes, and what looked to be Elf ears... though when Ishie saw him, she noticed he was wearing the female uniform.

"Uh... Rias, I thought your Pawn was a boy?" She asked.

"He is, Gasper just likes to wear girl clothes." Koneko revealed.

Ishie, Irina, and Xenovia's eyes turned white from the revelation.

"Uh... OK? I guess it's nice to meet you then, Gasper." Ishie replied, feeling a little awkward.

"Rias, who is this?" Gasper asked, pointing at Ishie.

"That's Ishie, she joined us two months ago." She answered.

Kokabiel smirked at the sight, realizing what his power was.

"Forbidden Balor View, even I can appreciate the power of a Sacred Gear that's able to stop time." He remarked.

Ishie's eyes widened, realizing what stopped the light spear.

"Finally, it is complete!" Valper exclaimed.

That shout caught everyone's attention as they saw the streams of energy disappear, revealing a golden sword that was shaking as it was just barely holding itself together.

* * *

As he attempted to leave Kuoh Town, a sudden flare of energy caught Vali's attention, making him and Ddraig turn around as they finally noticed the barrier's existence.

"That barrier... Ddraig, do you think that's-" He asked.

**("It has to be. There's way too much power concentrated there, including his own.")** Ddraig confirmed.

Vali shrugged his shoulders, preparing to leave... only to be stopped as his right arm suddenly held him in place.

"Is something wrong?" He inquired.

Ddraig began to growl angrily, causing Vali's eyes to widen as he looked at the barrier again.

"No, it couldn't be..." Vali gasped.

**("TRANSFER!")**

Focusing some one of his boosts in his eyes, his vision zoomed in like a telescope, causing him to see Ishie was one of the people fighting against Kokabiel.

'Looks like he broke his promise...' He thought, glaring at Kokabiel.

His shrouded form manifested his armor as its thrusters propelled him through the sky, leading him to the battlefield.

* * *

Everyone looked at the now fused form of the six Excalibur blades, which spread the now completed magic square.

"The magic square's been made..." Rias realized.

"I'd leave here now if I were you, this entire area will be destroyed in less than 20 minutes." Valper advised in a mocking tone, giving a creepy smile at the Gremory Team.

That made everyone pale.

"We've only been fighting for 15 minutes... Sirzechs won't make it in time." Akeno realized.

Kiba readied his sword.

"All that means is we have to focus on destroying that false Excalibur, nothing more." Xenovia stated, readying Durandal.

"She's right, this is just a minor inconvenience!" Irina agreed, holding Galatine up.

Kokabiel laughed as he spread his wings, flying towards the group as the two Holy Sword wielders gasped.

"Like I'd let you!" He shouted.

Gasper focused on him.

"I won't let you!" Gasper screamed.

Kokabiel flew out of the way, escaping the range of his effect.

"What's happening?" Ishie asked.

"Gasper can only stop time where he's looking at. Kokabiel knows this, so he's moving around to prevent that." Akeno explained.

Hearing that, Ishie got an idea and focused on his movements.

"Now, time to-" Kokabiel declared.

**("DIVIDE!")**

The cadre felt his power drain, not expecting to be hit by Ishie's divide, which left him open long enough for Gasper to get a good look at him. As a result, the cadre was held in place.

"I've got him, but... I don't know if I can... hold him!" He stated in a strained voice.

"Ishie, give Gasper a taste of your blood!" Rias shouted.

Gasper turned a little blue at the mention, but was forced to hold his disgust in so he didn't lose his focus.

"Huh?" Ishie blinked, looking confused.

"Despite what his ears imply? Gasper is half Vampire, and a Dragon's blood can both strengthen and stabilize his powers! We need to give him enough strength hold Kokabiel for as long as possible if want any chance of destroying that Excalibur!" Rias explained.

"Seriously?" Ishie remarked with an uneasy expression.

"If it makes you feel better, he only needs a drop. Especially since he's very against drinking blood when it isn't from a transfusion." Rias comforted her.

Ishie groaned before taking a deep breath, then holding it as she moved part of the Divine Dividing's feathers to her head... and cut into her pinkie.

"Hurry, lick it!" She begged.

Gasper saw Ishie move her pinkie in front of him and licked it. Right as Kokabiel was about to escape, his eyes flashed even brighter and strengthened the hold on his body. The difference was Gasper's blood boost made him feel less of a strain this time.

"Freed, help me!" Valper shouted, starting to panic.

"I'm here!" He replied.

Jumping from the gym's roof.

"Hurry, use the Excalibur and kill all of these fools!" Valper ordered.

Freed gave a creep smile that showed his teeth as he grabbed the blade.

"Let's have some fun!" He shouted.

Rushing ahead, Kiba was quick to react and clashed against Freed, who laughed as their blades clashed.

"That's not gonna work this time!" Freed smirked.

Excalibur's blade stretched out, surprising Kiba as he saw it split into four tendrils.

**"Balance Breaker: Glory Drag Trooper!"**

His living armors formed to take the attack, giving him time to dodge before he was struck, but once the tendrils hit the ground?

*"BANG!"*

The ground exploded like it was struck like a meteor!

"Kiba!" Rias shouted.

"I'm... fine!" He replied.

Everyone saw Kiba was on his stomach, having just barely managed to dodge the destructive force of the attack.

"That was Excalibur Mimicry and Excalibur Destruction's powers!" Irina shouted.

"Of course. Because this Excalibur is a fusion of all but one of the blades, it has all six of their abilities." Xenovia realized, tightening her grip on Durandal.

Freed jumped into the air.

"Say goodbye pretty boy!" He laughed, readying his swing.

"Not so fast!" Irina shouted.

She held Galatine in his direction, causing him to scream a bright light blinded him. Using this chance, Xenovia rushed towards him, and swung Durandal with all her might. Unfortunately, he quickly regained his vision and blocked it.

"Time for a nightmare!" He smirked.

Illusions of himself formed around Xenovia and catching her off-guard as he jumped into the air, ready for an attack.

"And here's transparency!" Freed shouted.

"Irina!" Xenovia shouted, feeling overwhelmed.

She jumped by her side, causing them to stand back to back before swinging their swords and spinning around. Freed was hit and slightly pushed back.

"You cheaters!" He screamed angrily.

"Look who's calling who a cheat." Xenovia retorted.

"Ditto." Irina agreed.

Kiba slowly got back onto his feet, right as Valper chose to walk up to and stand before him.

"How tragic you are. Even if you survived the project, it was only because you chose to become the very creature a Holy Sword would have been used against." Valper sighed.

"Shut up! I may be a Devil, but I'm still more human than you'll ever be!" Kiba countered.

Hearing that, Valper laughed.

"Yes, that is true. Even if God himself had allowed the project? Unlike me, he wouldn't have taken the time to kill his subjects... which is the exact reason why he'd never be successful in completing it!" He admitted.

Kiba's eyes widened at that.

"Complete? What are you saying... what would you need to kill us for to find an answer?" He demanded, refusing to believe it.

At that moment, Valper revealed a blue crystal that made Kiba's eyes widen. Just the sight of it felt eerily familiar to him.

"The reason none of the subjects could wield a holy sword is because there was a particular set of genes they were lacking. After I killed those brats, I simply removed all of the genes from any of them who had any of it!" Valper revealed.

Kiba felt his eyes widen in horror. As for everyone else, besides Freed who simply let out an insane laugh, their faces held either disgust or shock.

"My god... even by research standards, that's inhumane!" Ishie remarked.

"Of course it's inhumane! After all, most people die because they can't take the genes, so people like me that can are truly superhuman! Not only that, but since I managed to take in six? I'm truly one of a kind!" Freed replied.

Irina could barely speak, while Xenovia recalled a time when the church told her to destroy any crystals like the one Valper held.

"So, that's why they asked us to destroy them... their mere existence is an insult to the church and everyone he killed." She realized.

Valper soon tossed the crystal near Kiba's feet.

"Feel free to keep that one if you want. I've gotten far enough that I can make copies of it of the same quality, so I don't need it anymore." He stated.

"That's it? All that time we believed what we were doing was for God, yet all we were to you... was trash!?" He asked, a look of horror and shock on his face.

He grabbed the crystal, cradling it.

"How many... how many lives will it take before you'll be satisfied!?" Kiba demanded, looking at him.

At that moment, the crystal began to react, making Valper's eyes widen as everyone watched the sight.

"This is..." He breathed.

"Kiba." Someone said.

Looking behind him, he gasped at the sight of an energy projection of a familiar, along with multiple wisps representing the souls of his fallen friends.

"Tosca..." He breathed.

That surprised his friends.

"Does that mean that the souls of Kiba's friends have been in that crystal all this time?" Ishie asked.

"It's possible, and based on how we can't see most of them... it's the only parts of their souls still trapped." Akeno answered.

Kiba cried as he looked at Tosca, a guilty look on his face.

"Everyone, I'm sorry... so sorry. I've tried more than anything to finally put your spirits to rest. It wasn't fair that only I survived, not when some of you had dreams to live. I shouldn't have been the only one to escape that nightmare-" He apologized.

He suddenly felt Tosca hug him, and then saw her shake her head.

"Live." She said.

"What?" He replied, looking confused.

Tosca's body disappeared as he saw the various souls circling around him. One by one, they briefly showed their appearances and they began speaking to him.

_"It's OK."_

_"Let's all gather together."_

_"Take us in Isaiah, it's time!"_

_"You don't have to be scared, even if there is no God."_

_"Because even if he's not watching over us..."_

Each soul flew inside his body, making a bright blue light go off as his Sacred Gear began to glow brighter than ever.

_"Our hearts will forever be one!"_

Kiba shed more tears than he could remember as the crystal shattered.

"Kiba..." Ishie cried.

"What is this? The crystal has never reacted like this before!" Valper demanded.

**("Because you don't understand the Holy Swords.")** Albion answered.

Valper looked in Ishie's direction.

**("Do you honestly believe genes are all that decides one's ability to wield a Holy Sword in the end? I've had enough hosts to know that isn't true, and now you will see Kiba prove that firsthand.")** He continued.

Once all the souls entered Kiba, he looked at his hands in surprise, and taking what Albion just said into account... Ishie made a serious face.

"Kiba, they never wanted you to put them to rest!" She screamed to him.

"Huh?" He responded, looking at her.

"They wanted you to live for them! Because you were the only one to survive, all of their hopes and their dreams... they're now in your hands! Show Valper that you do have the power to wield a Holy Sword and prove his entire life's work is wrong!" Ishie continued.

Valper suddenly laughed at that.

"Prove my work wrong? You can't disprove the results of science!" He retorted.

"I may stink at the subject, but even I know nothing is ever truly considered proven!" Ishie countered.

"She's right!" Rias agreed.

Kiba looked at Rias in surprise.

"My Knight would never lose to such a pathetic foe, so show them your strength. It's time you end this nightmare once and for all." She smiled.

Kiba smiled at that, while Freed faked a hurling sound.

"Gross, all of you really love making my skin crawl! I'll just start killing all of you now!" He decided.

He rushed at Kiba, ready to strike him... only to be pushed back as holy and demonic energies swirled around him.

"What the!?" Freed shouted in surprise.

"What's going on? Holy and demonic powers shouldn't be able to mix like that!" Valper questioned.

"This is..." Kiba gasped.

His hilt began to glow before it transformed, becoming more regal in appearance as it grew a permanent blade onto its form. This blade was mostly black blade with a white edge and white details.

Once he saw it, Valper's eyes widened in disbelief.

"That's Arondight, impossible!" Valper shouted.

"The sword of Lancelot himself? You mean Kiba was holding onto the hilt of a Holy Sword all this time?" Ishie gasped.

"No, it can't be. It would have burned him if that was the case." Rias answered.

Xenovia thought to herself for a moment, and then remembered a story she heard during her early days in the Vatican.

"It must have come to him because he's a Devil with holy powers." She realized.

"Huh?" Rias blinked, looking at her.

"When Camelot fell and the Pendragon family was forced to relocate for their survival? Lancelot went mad, causing the sword to become a demonic sword. However, it never lost its holy powers or conditions to be wielded as one because it wasn't a demonic sword from the start." She explained.

Ishie gasped.

"Of course! Arondight is basically the same as Kiba, so he's the perfect wielder for it!" Ishie smiled.

Valper took a step back, his face looking horrified.

"No, that's impossible... he shouldn't be able to wield that thing! He never had the qualities to-" He denied.

**_("Do you honestly believe genes are all that decides one's ability to wield a Holy Sword in the end?")_**_ Albion's voice echoed._

Valper felt his eyes widen in horror.

"No... no!" Valper screamed.

Freed screamed as he swung Excalibur at Kiba, causing its Mimicry powers to stretch it out... only for him to swing Arondight and smash them apart.

"Damn this plot twist!" Freed screamed, readying another swung.

Excalibur suddenly began to shake. Looking up, Freed saw it moving in the opposite direction.

"What the hell are you doing you stupid sword!? I'm the one using you, so start listening to me!" He ordered angrily.

Right as he said that, he screamed as Excalibur slashed into his shoulder.

"It's like Albion said, you need more to wield a Holy Sword, and that's the right heart! You and Valper are nothing but evil, so Excalibur refuses to let you wield it anymore!" Kiba shouted, jumping into the air.

Freed's eyes widened as Kiba swung at the Excalibur, shattering the blade into its six fragments.

"No!" He shouted.

Everyone cheered as the magic square shattered into pieces.

"Are you fucking kidding me!? How could I-" Freed growled.

Kiba rushed at him.

"No... no!" He panicked.

Freed let out one last scream as Kiba slashed across him, making blood spray from a slash made on his chest, finally ending his life.

* * *

As Sona's group continued to hold the barrier and help with evacuations, Asia noticed something and gasped while pointing towards it.

"Look, the magic square!" She shouted.

Sona looked and gasped, seeing it disappear.

"The magic square is disappearing! That must mean they destroyed Excalibur!" Momo realized.

"Yeah, but I don't think this is over yet." Tsubaki replied.

Sona nodded in agreement, seeing Kokabiel still trapped in Gasper's time field... right as he began to break free of it.

* * *

Valper stared at the scene before him, unable to accept any of what he just saw.

"No, all of my research... how could it all fall apart like this? It doesn't make any sense! I saw it work, so how could you little brats-" He demanded, looking somewhat insane.

A light spear suddenly shot through his body and exploded, with Gasper falling over as he lost his hold on Kokabiel.

"Gasper!" Rias shouted, rushing to him.

"Oh Valper, you poor fool. To think that I ever trusted your talent." He mockingly sighed.

Everyone stared at him as he lowered to the ground, with Rias seeing Gasper had fainted.

"Though if I must say anything? Your resistance is the most fun I've had in a while, so why don't we make this a little more exciting?" Kokabiel suggested.

"What are you saying?" Rias questioned.

"Fight me. If you all of you can somehow manage to beat me or last long enough for your brother to show up, then you've stopped me. Though if you all die..." He answered.

Rias growled at that before looking at Akeno.

"How much longer?" She asked.

"Almost half an hour, so in a sense... we're out of time." Akeno answered, sweating slightly.

"Damn it." Rias replied.

Ishie held out her hand again, making Kokabiel chuckle as he grabbed his sleeve.

"I wouldn't try that White Dragon. You caught me off-guard once, but now that I know you don't need to directly touch me..." He warned, pulling it up.

He was wearing some kind of bracelet, causing her to flinch.

"Don't risk it Ishie, especially when we might just have another way to take him down." Rias replied.

"What other way?" Ishie asked, looking nervous.

Akeno felt her eyes widen as she realized what she was implying.

"No, stop! If you use that in here-" She warned, looking nervous.

Rias looked at her, scaring her into silence.

"We might still die. If that's the case, then it's a risk I have to take." Rias answered.

"I... I understand." Akeno sighed.

Ishie felt herself swallow in response, looking at Kiba and Koneko.

"By any chance, is this the power that caused her to-" She asked.

"Start flying, now." Koneko warned.

Feeling herself start to shake, she grabbed Irina and Xenovia before throwing them onto her wings.

"Oh?" Kokabiel raised an eye.

Rias closed her eyes as her power flared out.

**"Aura of Destruction!"**

And then it exploded, shaking the entire area as her Power of Destruction exploded out like a maelstrom, managing to scare even the usually stoic Xenovia.

"What is that!?" She asked.

"A power she and her brother both have, and even Sirzechs doesn't have under his complete control! Only I can stop it when she uses it!" Akeno answered.

Kokabiel laughed as he saw it, looking overjoyed from the sight.

"Yes, the rumors are true! You truly do have the same raw potential as your brother!" He exclaimed.

Rias screamed as she unleashed all of it towards Kokabiel, who simply caught the attack with his hands.

"Definitely impressive, but it's not enough!" Kokabiel shouted.

Forming multiple light spheres around him, they launched towards Rias and smashed through her power, making her gasp as her strongest power was immediately dispelled. The sight made Akeno gasp, while Ishie let out a growl as she tossed Irina and Xenovia to her and Kiba.

"You bastard!" She screamed.

"No, Ishie! Stop!" Akeno shouted.

She began to flip in midair.

**("RELEASE!")**

Boosting forward, she revealed a new attack as her wings shifted to make her like a saw blade.

**"Dividing Slasher!"**

"Go ahead, let me see!" Kokabiel smirked.

He held out his hands, only getting slightly pushed back.

"Seriously? I think people give you too much hype, because you don't seem that strong for a White Dragon's host!" He stated, almost as if he was disappointed.

Reeling a fist back, he smashed it into Ishie, making her eyes widen as her wings shattered and she crashed onto the ground. Rias gasped as she saw this.

"Ishie!" Irina shouted, jumping down and rushing towards her.

"Even Ishie couldn't hurt him..." She said, now feeling terrified.

At that moment, Ishie managed to get back on her feet, making Irina give her a smile of relief.

"Ishie, are you OK?" Irina asked.

"Yeah... just had the wind knocked out of me." She replied.

At that moment, Kiba and Xenovia rushed ahead, both readying their swords as the charged at Kokabiel.

"Glad to see you're still interested!" He smirked.

Kiba and Xenovia moved towards his sides and swung at him, making him catch their swords with his hands.

"Now!" Kiba screamed.

He formed a few Glory Dragon Troopers above the Fallen Angel, but before they could even get close to him? All ten of his wings flailed around and slashed them apart. Kiba and Xenovia were knocked around, but managed to keep themselves grounded.

"Take... this!" Kokabiel shouted.

Forming two light swords, he swung them and made a giant glowing X-mark fly towards the group. Xenovia and Kiba crossed their swords to defend it, and despite the force being slammed against them... they managed to block it.

"One more time!" Kiba shouted.

His Glory Drag Troopers formed once more, but this time they surrounded him on the ground, and swung at him from all sides.

He responded by using his wings like shields.

"Is that all you've got?" Kokabiel smirked.

He smashed the living armors once again, but this time? The Knight of Gremory used this timing to rush ahead and swung his sword at him, which Kokabiel caught.

Kiba swung again, forming a second sword that he also caught with his free hand.

"Looks like you're wide open." Kokabiel smirked.

However, he soon noticed neither sword was Arondight, making his eyes widen.

"That's right, wide open to do this!" Kiba smiled.

Moving his mouth, he caught Arondight's hilt in it and then turned his head to slash him. Kokabiel screamed as the sword cut across his eyes.

"Damn you!" He screamed, letting Kiba escape.

"He did it! Kiba blinded him!" Irina cheered.

Kokabiel roared before tossing a light spear towards them, but Xenovia quickly managed to slash it apart.

"You can't focus as well without your eyes." Xenovia replied.

Despite her confidence, she was starting to feel winded by this point.

"It surprises me how you exorcists are able to fight so hard. After all, why continue fighting when you've lost your master?" Kokabiel retorted, smirking despite he couldn't see her.

That reply caught her and Irina's attention, as well as Asia once his voice reached Sona's group.

"Mind clarifying?" Rias inquired.

"Tell us what you mean when you say we've lost our master!" Xenovia demanded.

Kokabiel laughed.

"Considering you might die here? I guess this could be the last chance you'll ever have to learn the truth." He realized.

He continued laughing, making everyone sweat a bit.

"During the end of the Great War, the reason I had an opportunity to kill the Satans... was because they were weak from having just killed God in battle!" Kokabiel revealed.

Not a single pair of eyes failed to widen at that revelation.

"God is... dead?" Irina breathed.

"He's what? God has been... dead?" Xenovia quietly said.

Rias just barely managed to regain her focus.

"You're lying, I've never heard anything about that!" She shouted.

Kokabiel smirked.

"And why would you? Do you really think the death of God was something that could be made public?" He replied.

Rias froze at that, realizing he was right.

"The Devils already lost their leaders and their strongest, whereas both kinds of Angels lost nearly everyone. They were all ruined to the point where Humans are the only way they can survive." Kokabiel continued.

"Meaning such information... would have to be sealed away for their own good." Rias realized.

Xenovia dropped to her knees and began shaking, while Asia and Irina both fainted on the spot.

"What happened to them!?" Ishie asked worriedly.

"I bet it was the shock... with Irina and Asia fainting because their belief is incredibly strong. Xenovia probably can't even think right now." Koneko answered.

At that moment, Kokabiel gritted his teeth in anger.

"But I could care less about that! What drives me crazy is that when they all died, it was decided to _stop_ the war! We would have won if we had kept going! Even worse, that damn Azazel said there would never be another war! What the fuck!?" Kokabiel screamed.

Ishie began to shake as a thought came to her.

"Hold on, but if God is dead... then what about people's prayers?" She asked.

"Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and Uriel managed to restart the system and govern it in his stead. Though they're nowhere near God's level, so while I'm sure Michael has been listening as his envoy? He has greater limits. After all, there's a good reason the number of believers keeps dropping." Kokabiel answered.

Ishie began to breath heavily, feeling her eyes starting to shrink.

"I wouldn't be surprised if it's why people such as Valper exist, especially considering the Balance Breakers and Longinus only exist because his death has left plenty of issues and glitches in Heaven's system." He continued, taking joy in seeing her expression.

Ishie felt tears leave her eyes.

"Then... he didn't hear my prayers... to save Aiko and Yuuki because..." She realized.

Ishie soon fainted in the same manner as Irina and Asia had, with Koneko catching her.

"You bastard..." Koneko whispered angrily.

Kokabiel soon raised his hands to form a giant light spear, at least ten times his size, above his head. The sight of it caused everyone to gasp in horror.

"And that is why I'll make sure this war continues, even if I have to take your heads to make it happen!" Kokabiel announced, flashing a toothy smirk.

"Sorry, but I won't allow that!" Vali announced.

Recognizing that voice, Kokabiel suddenly froze in place.

*"SHATTER!"*

The top of the barrier shattered, letting someone fall through it before it reformed, and Xenovia gasped at the sight.

"That's him... the Red Dragon!" She shouted.

"No way!" Rias gasped.

Hearing that, Koneko immediately dove into the nearby bush and used her Senjutsu to try and hide the signature of Ishie's life force, hoping the Red Dragon wouldn't find her.

"What's going on? Why are you here!?" Kokabiel demanded.

Rather than answering, Vali dashed ahead and smashed a fist into his face. Kokabiel screamed in pain as he felt his mouth bleed.

"I'm here because you broke your promise, and now you will face the consequences." Vali answered, holding out his right hand.

**("BLADE!")**

Kokabiel screamed more as a blade stabbed through his stomach and sliced off his wings.

"Is that Ascalon, the... Dragon Slayer!?" Kokabiel questioned.

"You don't deserve any answers, just death." Vali responded, holding up his left hand.

**("BOOST!") ("BOOST!") ("BOOST!")**

He then threw his left hand out, unleashing a powerful blaze that caused Kokabiel to scream as he was completely incinerated. The sight caused everyone who witnessed the sight to look at the Red Dragon's host with pure fear in their eyes.

From where Sona and her peerage stood, all of them were surprised by how easily the Red Dragon killed a cadre.

"No one tell the others to bring everyone back just yet... things might have gotten much worse." Sona whispered.

Her servants quietly nodded as Vali crossed his arms.

**("Quite clever of your host to hide herself, Albion.")** Ddraig praised, smirking from within the Boosted Gear.

**("It's been a while since our last fight, hasn't it Ddraig?")** Albion replied, glaring from within the Divine Dividing.

Koneko sweated as she tried not to move, sweating slightly.

**("Lucky for you, my partner won't find satisfaction in defeating your host if she's weak from fighting Kokabiel, so we'll let things slide for today. Just tell her this once she wakes up...")** Ddraig replied.

Vali turned to face Rias, making the Gremory Heiress feel a nervous sweat trickle down her face.

**("I won't wait for either of you to catch up to us, because this time... we have good reason to believe this will be the battle that ends our eternal war.")** He warned.

**("Wait, what!?")** Albion replied, feeling shocked at those words.

And with those words, the thrusters on Vali's armor fired up as he shot through the air, completely destroying the barrier as the light caused Ishie to wake up. As she did, she saw the sight of something flying through the air.

"What happened? Are we still alive?" She asked, rubbing her head.

"No one died, except for Kokabiel, but... we'll explain later. Right now, we should avoid making you faint again." Koneko replied.

Ishie looked at her in confusion, though shrugged before they walked out of the bush.

By that point, Sona and the members of her peerage, Asia, along with the kendo duo were seen inside the school walls as the former began talking to Rias about what they had all just witnessed.

"Rias, my peerage and I will focus on bringing everyone back into town and repairing the damage to the school. Do you mind taking care of letting your brother know of what happened?" Sona requested.

"Of course. After all, with what happened at the end? It's clear something's going to happen because of this..." Rias agreed, sighing slightly.

Hearing that made Ishie nervous. Luckily, she was distracted by Kiba looking at Arondight.

"It's finally over. Everyone, you can finally rest in peace, because the man who took your lives for his own selfishness is no more. Even more, I am finally free... and can live as you all wished for me to do." He said, finally letting himself cry.

"Kiba." She stated.

He looked at Ishie, who smiled at her.

"Congratulations, now both you _and_ Rias can say you've been freed from the chains of your pasts." Ishie smiled.

Kiba smiled at that.

"Ishie, I-" He replied.

"Stop, you don't need to say anything. I already knew the moment she hugged you." She replied.

He paused at that, with Ishie turning around as she shed some tears.

"A knight should protect the lady most important to him... and that isn't me. I'll accept that, especially after what I had to endure tonight." Ishie continued, keeping her cries silent.

Kiba realized how much it hurt her to do say that, so he kneeled to the ground.

"Then let me make this vow to you, for saying what I needed to hear." Kiba offered.

"Huh?" Ishie replied as she turned around.

"I, Kiba Yuuto, promise that if anyone ever tries to hurt you... I will defend you with all of my strength. Rias saved me when I died, but it's your words saved twice over. I owe you this much if I want to truly call myself the Knight of Rias Gremory." He declared.

Hearing that, Kiba suddenly felt Ishie hug him close.

"Stupid Casanova... thank you." Ishie said, sniffling a little.

Koneko briefly snorted at the Casanova comment, and then walked up to Ishie's back as he put her hand on it.

"Don't worry, you'll find the right guy for you." She comforted her.

Xenovia stared at everyone, holding the Excalibur fragments in hand.

* * *

A week went by, and Ishie was currently listening to Rias as she explained how the fight ended, having finally felt she was ready to hear it.

"So, it was the Red Dragon that killed Kokabiel?" She asked with a shaky voice.

"He did, and the only reason another fight didn't break out is because he at least has a sense of honor to fight you at your fullest. In a sense, you basically saved all of our lives by getting into danger." Rias confirmed with a sigh.

Koneko briefly stopped eating her current snack, looking at Rias with slight nervousness.

"So, what do you think is going to happen? Is this going to lead to a war with the Asgardians?" She asked.

Rias shook her head, smiling for a brief moment.

"Luckily for us, the Red Dragon's words implied that he aided Kokabiel somewhat. I think Odin is going to keep him on a leash for the time being." She answered.

"Though Sirzechs may have to meet with Azazel about this." Akeno mentioned.

As everyone just sat there, a sudden knock caught their attention, making everyone look at Rias... who simply shrugged.

"Come in." She replied.

Opening the door, everyone showed surprise as they saw the unexpected arrivals of Irina and Xenovia.

"Hey guys..." Irina greeted, letting out an awkward chuckle.

"Irina? Why are you and Xenovia here!?" Ishie questioned.

Both of them lowered their heads at that, already implying something bad, and then Xenovia spoke.

"After Irina and I gave our reports on the incident, we were... excommunicated from the church." She revealed.

Ishie gasped.

"They kicked you out, just like me? But why?" Asia asked.

"I think I know..." Rias realized.

Everyone looked at her.

"Unlike Lint, since she was recovering at the time... both of you heard Kokabiel reveal God's death and were kicked out when you share it in your reports." She guessed.

Both of them said nothing, which was all the answer she needed.

"Hold on, doesn't that mean Asia was kicked out because..." Ishie realized, gasping slightly.

"Before we got excommunicated, we each were given a last request due to how he stopped Kokabiel and prevented war from breaking out. Irina requested that Tosca be sent to this town's local hospital due to our prior agreement. As for me, I asked them about what happened to her." Xenovia replied.

Asia looked at her in response.

"It turns out Twilight Healing is a mutation of another Sacred Gear known as Holy Resuscitation, which only works on those related or allied to Heaven, so when she had been able to heal a Devil like she had?" She revealed, closing her eyes.

"They must have believed it would give away God's death because healing was thought to be a power related to God's faith." Asia realized, lowering her head.

Irina nodded her head.

"Anyways, we're here because we couldn't stay at our housing in the Vatican, and staying with my parents would get them excommunicated. As a result, my father bought us tickets to fly us back here after the two of us met Lint, and then..." Irina explained.

She went silent at that, sharing what happened.

* * *

_At a European airport, the sight of Lint in a suit could be seen, standing before Xenovia and Irina who were in casual wear. The former seemed to look at them with an empty look in her eyes as a somber silence followed._

_"I recommend telling the church not to remake those cores into new Excaliburs just yet. That way, if this happens again? No one can abuse them." Irina suggested._

_Lint didn't say a word._

_"Lint, be proud of yourself. You accomplished your mission." Xenovia replied._

_"Oh yeah... it's just that I wish both of you had done it with me." Lint said monotonously._

_Both of them went silent._

_"Same with us." Irina agreed._

_Lint immediately grabbed her by the shirt, with an angry look on her face._

_"Don't you dare say that! Why did you two decide to reborn as Devils!? I can't believe the church accepted it so easily too, you... traitors!" She screamed._

_Letting Irina go, she walked away as the two stood there, with Xenovia holding Irina close as she silently cried. It was a horrible burden, but one they had to bear._

* * *

That was a shock to everyone as Irina finished telling them.

"Whoa, so... both of you lied to her and said you were Devils so she wouldn't ask questions and get kicked out as well?" Ishie said, summarizing everything.

"Lint is sharper than us with such details. If she had any other Holy Relic, she might be safe from excommunication, but the Incinerate Anthem..." Xenovia replied.

"Can swap wielders, making her qualify to be excommunicated." Rias realized.

There was an eerie silence that followed. However, it was broken as Asia took their hands, making Xenovia and Irina look at her.

"I wouldn't worry. Even if God isn't here anymore, that doesn't mean salvation doesn't exist for you two." She reassured her.

"Asia?" Xenovia said in surprise.

She smiled as she placed a hand over her heart.

"Ever since I came to this town... I've never felt more blessed!" Asia smiled.

They both showed surprise, while everyone smiled at what she was saying.

"I've found so many wonderful friends who mean so much to me, and because of Ishie and her parents, I found a family of my own. Even if I could change the past? I'm happy enough that I wouldn't change a thing, and I bet you'll find your place here as well." Asia explained.

Irina felt her tears form in her eyes.

"Oh God, this must truly be the ultimate test of our faith. I will gladly take this trail and succeed in finding my own salvation. Amen!" She exclaimed.

"If you can say that without any doubt in your words... then I think you're right." Xenovia agreed, closing her eyes and smiling.

Ishie wiped tears from her eyes.

"Also, do you mind if we ask you for a favor?" Xenovia requested.

"Sure, what is it?" Asia asked.

"We've decided we'll be transferring here, so we'd love it if you could show us around the school." Xenovia asked.

"Of course." Asia smiled.

Irina then looked at Kiba.

"And if you ever need help learning how to use Arondight, just ask, since we got to keep Galatine and Durandal." She offered.

"Thanks, I appreciate the offer." He smiled.

Rias stood up in response, also smiling.

"Since have two new members joining the Occult Research Club, how about we give a proper welcome to Irina and Xenovia by throwing a small party?" Rias suggested.

"Yeah!" Everyone agreed.

* * *

**That's it for the Excalibur arc! Irina and Xenovia are no longer with the church and have joined the ORC, while Gasper made an early appearance and gave his friends a hand, though if he's fully free or not? That's an answer for next chapter. Though the one thing I can talk about is while it's still quite strong? This story's version of the Forbidden Balor View isn't as powerful, for a reason that will be revealed soon enough.**

**Ishie has also learned that she's actually been able to divide from long-range all this time, rather than needing to touching someone like with most wielders of the Divine Dividing prior to reaching their Balance Breaker state. Not only that, but she's used it once before. During her fight against Raynare, her first divide had been a long-ranged one.**

**While some of you might think it's too early for her to have this ability? My reason for her having it is because if she tried fighting this story's version of Vali by using the touching restriction, it would be almost impossible for her to actually win. Speaking of which, know that if I do end up making the two become a couple, it's not going to be for a while because the two are currently rivals until they have that final battle Ddraig mentioned.**

**Until next time everyone, and stay awesome! ^^**


	12. Climbing to the Summit

**It's been a long road, but we've finally made it to the Summit arc, which I've been wanting to get to for a while now. There's a lot of stuff happening in this arc, and you'll have to read it to truly believe it. For now, the one thing you can expect is to see is the pool scene and open house, since I'm sure there are a few readers are interested on how Ishie will do things different from Issei in those scenes.**

**There are some other surprises that will be showing up in this arc, but that's the most I'll say about them so we keep some sense of anticipation. That, and I doubt they can be mentioned without giving them away. However, what I can say is this is the arc where the secret behind the necklace Ishie received from her mother back in Chapter 10, so this arc is your last chance to connect all of the hints I've left in the previous chapters.**

**Also, here's a little something I forgot to mention in the last chapter. In case anyone's wondering why Ishie is willing to give up on love interests so easily as we saw in the case of Saji and Kiba? Because of what happened to her older brother and sister, she wants people to appreciate their lives to the fullest... since neither of her siblings lived long enough to become teenagers.**

**From what she saw while talking with the two? She could tell Ruruko and Tosca would make Saji and Kiba happier than she would have, and if she hadn't done this and ended up with them in their place... the guilt would eat away at her. As much as she wants to find love, Ishie's love of fairy tales has made her learn to know when she's not the right girl, as few to no people wanted Ishie to pair up with them.**

**And with that, let's get this chapter started!**

* * *

**[Chapter 12 - Climbing to the Summit]**

The scene opened to part of a women's clothing store, where three strongest girls of the Gremory Team and the former exorcists of Irina were looking in the swimsuit section for new outfits.

"I think this is the one I'll be going with. Akeno, have you picked one yet?" Rias decided, looking at her as she grabbed it.

"One more second, and..." She replied, briefly moving her hand as she tried to pick between a group of three.

She then grabbed one.

"This one." Akeno replied.

Rias looked at it and chuckled.

"Is that your way of boldly showing off for yourself, or just trying to look hotter than me in a swimsuit?" She joked.

"Maybe?" Akeno playfully replied.

While the two Great Ladies were talking, Ishie was with Xenovia and Irina, waiting to give the former her opinion and to give the latter help with what was her first swimsuit.

"Remind me again why this is the first time you've ever owned a swimsuit?" She asked.

"Because I've never any time for recreational activities. Also, how do you get this on?" Xenovia replied, struggling to figure it out.

"It's like underwear, so wear it like a bra and panties." Ishie sighed.

After a minute or two, she opened it up and made Ishie's eyes widen at her choice of bikini.

"Does it look OK?" She asked, glancing at it.

"Uh... it fits you?" Ishie replied, unsure of what to say.

Irina soon opened her dressing room to reveal her swimsuit. Compared to everyone else so far, aside from her best friend that hadn't chosen one just yet, she was wearing a white one-piece swimsuit.

"Whoa! Irina, I think you've got a winner there." Ishie exclaimed.

She gave a bashful blush in response, scratching her cheek.

"Alright, now to find my swimsuit. I hope there's a bikini for my size that's not as flashy as what the big sisters are picking." Ishie remarked, looking for hers.

Rias and Akeno suddenly sneezed in response, confusing the two.

As Ishie looked around, she recalled the recent events this shopping trip was meant to distract them from.

* * *

_During the ORC's welcome party for Irina and Xenovia, a sudden call from Sirzechs came for Rias, making everyone watch her as she felt some sweat form on her face. Rias soon let out a sigh as she nodded her head._

_"Alright, I'll let everyone know what's happened, and thank you." Rias replied._

_"I'm already seeing a red flag here." Irina realized, sweating slightly._

_Rias dispelled the magic circle, making everyone look at her as she took a deep breath, then let it all out before revealing what she just learned._

_"The aftermath has been set... the Three Great Powers have decided to hold a summit, using our school as their meeting ground." Rias revealed._

_"You mean, a bunch of leaders will be coming here?" Koneko asked, holding some sorbet._

_Rias nodded her head._

_"Kokabiel's actions seem to have been a wakeup call. I don't know what will happen, but it's obvious the Three Great Powers will never be the same, so we'll be preparing to attend this meeting in the coming days." Rias replied._

_Xenovia and Irina felt themselves sweating a little at this, especially the latter._

_"I can't believe this happened... all relationships have been changed." She remarked._

_"I think it's more than just that Xenovia, because of how sudden this is? I'm wondering if it's partially to hide what's really going on." Rias added._

_"What do you mean?" Ishie asked._

_"Well, I have a theory that it might relate to the implication of the Red Dragon and Kokabiel working together. After all, my brother just told me despite what he said to you... since he killed Kokabiel, they need him to be present." She answered._

_Ishie began to shake._

_"Is he even going to behave and leave things alone with all those leaders there? I mean, Kokabiel definitely wasn't the strongest, but-" She asked._

_Rias hugged her close, rubbing her head._

_"Don't worry, no matter what happens? We'll make sure to protect you." She promised._

_"OK, that makes me feel a little better... sort of." Ishie replied, feeling less shaky._

_She let out one last gulp._

* * *

_A while later, but prior to the shopping trip, Ishie returned home with the newly christened church trio in tow. Irina began explaining their situation to Mr. and Mrs. Hyoudou, who showed some surprise... as Ishie's mother began to giggle slightly._

_"OK, let me make sure I heard that right. You messed up when transferring some money and now you can't get home until everything's settled?" She asked, despite knowing it was a clear lie._

_"Yeah... I guess my math with exchange rates isn't very good." Irina replied, scratching the back of her head._

_Ishie blushed in embarrassment as her parents began laughing for a minute after Irina's feigned response._

_"Sorry, but it's just so funny because it's so unexpected. Not to worry though. We definitely have the room to house three people for the next few days, so we don't mind if you board with us." Ishie's mom smiled._

_"Wait, three?" Ishie asked in confusion, knowing her mother never met Lint._

_"Really, you didn't tell her I was here? Shame on you Alicia." Someone replied._

_Ishie's eyes widened at that._

_Realizing that was her cue, especially with her daughter blushing, a woman resembling Ishie's mother walked into view. The moment she did? Ishie smiled, standing on her feet._

_"Grandma!" She exclaimed, jumping up to hug her._

_Her grandma hugged back as she caught her, causing her full appearance to enter Asia and Xenovia's view._

_She had silky black hair that was fully straight unlike her daughter and granddaughter's hair, albeit her lacked the luster of theirs due to graying, though she surprisingly had no wrinkles, leaving her hair and the maturity in her blue eyes to confirm her age._

_Due to exercise, her figure didn't match her 55-year old body in the slightest, which helped to explain her lack of wrinkles. Her current attire also looked the outfit Rias would wear to the store 2 hours from now, only it was purple with a black skirt._

_"Grandma?" Asia said in surprise._

_"That's right, and I'm assuming you're my new granddaughter. It's nice to officially meet you Asia." Ishie's grandma replied._

_Asia nervously stood up and bowed to her._

_"I-It's nice to meet you Miss Hyou... wait, I mean mom of Ishie's mom... no wait, I mean gran..." She stuttered, feeling slightly uncomfortable._

_Her new grandma giggled at that._

_"No need to force it, you can just call me Arisa until you get more comfortable with calling me grandma." Arisa offered._

_"OK, I'm sorry Arisa." Asia replied, letting out a slight breath._

_"Don't worry about it kiddo." She replied, patting her head._

_Seeing the sight of adoptive daughter getting nervous around her mother? Alicia let out a playful giggle._

_"Hey grandma? Not that I don't appreciate you visiting, but what brings you to Kuoh Town?" Ishie asked._

_"Did you forget? Your open house is in a few days." Arisa answered._

_Ishie's body turned completely white as she let out a quite gasp, causing her grandma to start laughing at the reaction told her everything._

_It really made Ishie thankful that Rias called her for the shopping trip when she had, otherwise she would have died from the embarrassment._

* * *

As she let out a strained chuckle from the thought, she finally noticed a swimsuit.

"Ooh!" She smiled, grabbing it.

Rushing back to the dressing rooms, Xenovia and Irina both watched as she began changing into it, humming as she did so.

Once she got out? Irina and Xenovia both stared in shock.

"That is so unfair... Irina sighed, looking at her smaller figure.

Ishie replied with a bashful chuckle and rubbed her cheek at the reminder of how, at least by Human standards since she hasn't seen many pureblooded Devils as of yet, had a better figure than most girls her age.

* * *

The following morning arrived quickly, with Irina and Xenovia currently in Kuoh Academy uniforms as Ishie lent them, both having been adjusted to their figures by magic.

"So, do the two of you think you're ready for your first day of class?" Ishie asked.

"I've only been home schooled by my guardian before now, so I'll admit I'm a little nervous." Xenovia admitted.

Irina patted her shoulder.

"No need to worry, Rias got us in the same class, so Ishie, Asia and I can help you out if you need it." She reassured her.

Ishie chuckled at that, recalling a certain trio of students has been moved to a different class to make room for them.

'Today's class should be interesting.' She thought.

"Good morning!" Rias greeted, seeing them walk by.

Everyone turned to see her standing next to Gasper, who was wearing sunglasses, though not because of the light outside.

Ishie had gotten a small study course about Vampires after the battle by Rias, and one thing she learned was real Vampires were more like Dhampirs in nature. Something she saw firsthand after Gasper willingly ate garlic, proving that the legends were way off.

"Hey there Rias." Asia greeted.

"Is Gasper finally going to be attending class today?" Ishie asked.

"That's right. He's still a little nervous about looking people in the eye, so for his first day, I gave him these sunglasses to keep people from directly looking at his face." Rias confirmed.

"Makes sense, he can't really bring his box or that paper bag he had during our welcome party to class." Irina remarked, rubbing her cheek slightly.

Before any of them knew it, they had made it to Kuoh Academy, where Ishie's class saw Xenovia and Irina introducing themselves as everyone celebrated a certain trio's move to a different class in their heads.

"Hello everyone, my name is Irina Shidou. It's a pleasure!" Irina greeted.

"And my name's Xenovia Quarta, nice to meet you." Xenovia remarked.

Irina soon waved at Ishie.

"Glad to see that we're classmates again!" She smiled.

That caught everyone's attention.

"Ishie, do you know this girl?" A male student asked.

"Yeah, she's my childhood friend." Ishie answered.

Before she knew it, everyone was gathered around the 5th most popular girl in Kuoh Academy to ask her questions, leaving her overwhelmed by the lack of personal space.

"Hey, hey! Don't crowd your classmate!" Their teacher shouted.

Irina blinked at that sight, and Xenovia... felt her cheeks puff.

"Xenovia, are you laughing?" Irina asked in surprise, like she had just seen a ghost.

"I'm... not... sure..." She replied, giggling between words.

Murayama and Katase soon began trying to pull everyone away from Ishie, which caused it to become half of class for the day.

Ishie was not amused by any moment of it.

* * *

When school had ended for the day, and after finally Ishie escaped her classmates, the ORC soon gathered by the disgusting mess that was the school's uncleaned pool.

"Gross! How long has all this crap been in here?" Ishie asked.

"Since last year for the oldest things." Akeno answered.

Katase nearly hurled at that, just barely managing to keep her lunch from being added to the mess floating in the pool water.

"Why exactly is our club cleaning the swimming pool?" Xenovia asked in confusion.

"We took it over for the student council. The evacuation efforts and holding the barrier exhausted them, so I decided we should lighten their work while they focus on planning for Open House." Rias explained.

"The best part? In exchange for cleaning the pool, we get exclusive use of it until next trimester." Akeno added.

Irina's eyes widened at that.

"I'm in!" She exclaimed.

She rushed towards the changing room, making everyone stare before Ishie let out a small laugh.

"She might be a teenager now, but she's still the same old Irina." Ishie smiled.

Gasper and Kiba entered the boy's changing room as everyone else entered the girl's changing room, giving a brief show of their underwear as they did. As everyone began to put on their gym uniforms, Xenovia turned to Irina.

"Hey, think you can help me with the homework for fourth hour? Japanese language is too complicated for me." She requested.

"Sure thing." Irina replied.

"That's a tough subject for me too, Ishie's always had to help me identify all the symbols." Asia admitted.

"That's the downside of our crosses. They may have translation magic imbued in them, but that only works with the words we speak, not words that are written." Xenovia sighed.

She soon raised a hand.

"No big deal, I'll just study until it all makes sense!" Xenovia decided.

"I know God's soul will be there to offer you strength and knowledge." Asia smiled.

The trio soon made prayer motions.

"Amen." They all stated.

Aside from Koneko who simply shook her head, the other girls of the ORC let out a giggle in response.

"Try not to do that while we're around, you don't want to accidentally give us a blessing." Rias requested.

"OK." Asia promised for the whole trio.

After everyone got dressed, the process of cleaning began as they used nets to grab the solids out of the water for recycling, drained the water to brush off the muck that got stuck on the walls or inside the cleaning filters, and then hosed a few areas for one last scrubbing.

When it was done, there was only one last thing to do.

"Ishie, are you ready to try using water magic?" Akeno asked.

"You want me to refill the pool?" Ishie asked.

"Of course. It's good practice since you'll likely be able to excel in more elements than I do, since lightning's my only strong suit." She answered.

Blinking in surprise, Ishie nodded her head and stood on a diving stand.

"Here I go!" Ishie announced.

Forming a magic circle above the pool, everyone saw it release a pool's worth of water and fill it up.

"Awesome!" Katase remarked.

"I'm starting to feel like we should try learning some magic." Murayama thought aloud.

"That is possible, but since the way Devils use magic is different? We'll need to find a magician who's willing to teach you." Rias answered.

The two gasped.

"Wait, so it's actually possible for us to learn magic?" They asked.

"Of course." Rias answered with a smile.

After the pool was filled, she turned to everyone.

"Alright everyone, get on your swimsuits and swim to your heart's content!" She announced.

Everyone quickly got changed and came outside.

When Ishie finally came into view, her swimsuit was revealed to be a black and white bikini that showed off the underside of her breasts, with the bottom half being shaped like a skirt.

"Whoa... Ishie, that's a bold yet fitting swimsuit." Katase remarked, wearing a green and yellow stripped bikini.

"She's right, that bikini definitely fits you." Murayama agreed, wearing a pink bikini with purple polka dots.

Ishie blushed at their words.

"Thanks, I was worried it might be too much." She replied, swirling some of her hair around her finger.

Asia looked a bit embarrassed, as she had chosen to bring her school swimsuit.

"Hey, don't feel too bad. You're not the only one who had to wear an outfit tied to fetish appeal." Koneko replied, currently in her true form.

Looking at Koneko, Asia saw she too was also wearing the school swimsuit, along with of a blue swim cap on her head.

"Uh..." She tried to ask.

"I didn't want to wear anything else. It reminds me too much of how my sister always flaunted her cleavage." She answered.

"Oh." Asia awkwardly replied.

Ishie similarly said nothing as she noticed Gasper wearing swim trunks and a pink jacket, though she didn't even bother to ask why, instead noticing Rias looking at her.

"Hey Ishie, can you do me a favor?" Rias asked.

"Sure, what is it?" She inquired.

"Do you mind helping Koneko learn how to swim?" Rias requested.

Koneko blushed as she heard that.

"One of the few times I'm embarrassed to be a cat..." She said to herself.

Ishie rubbed her back to comfort her.

* * *

After everyone had settled into the water in some form, Ishie was seen helping Koneko as she flailed around like an actual cat in water.

"Try to calm down, just kick your legs like you were swinging your arms."

"Yeah, you can do it Koneko!" Asia encouraged, being taught to swim by Irina.

It took a moment, but Koneko began calming down and started to actually look like she was learning to swim instead of resisting the process.

"Sorry... you had to help me... learn to swim." She apologized, speaking between breaths.

Ishie smiled in reply.

"Hey, it's alright. This actually reminds me of when Aiko taught me how to swim." Ishie replied.

Hearing that, Koneko suddenly stumbled into the water, making Ishie gasp as she dived in after her.

"Are you OK?" She asked.

Koneko hugged her, shaking like she was vulnerable to attack.

"Oh, sorry... probably shouldn't have said that." Ishie apologized.

"She... was going to teach me..." Koneko cried quietly.

Ishie rubbed her head, giving her a moment of silence to keep anyone from noticing, letting those who looked just assume Koneko had been frightened by going under so suddenly.

That lasted until both suddenly felt a splash. Turning their heads, they saw Xenovia surface from a dive.

"Sorry, I overshot my jump." She apologized.

'That's an understatement.' They both thought.

While all of that happened, everyone failed to see Rassei doing the back stroke in the water.

* * *

By the time everyone finished swimming, the afternoon sky had rolled into view.

"So, who is everyone expecting for open house? My grandmother came into town just for the event." Ishie inquired.

"I know my brother's definitely coming, since he'll need to stick around for the upcoming summit. That's about it, depending on if my parents will be able to bring my nephew with them or not." Rias answered.

That made Ishie's eyes widen.

"Wait, your nephew? You never mentioned your brother was already a dad!" She exclaimed.

Rias blinked at that.

"I didn't?" She asked.

"Not that I can recently remember, so I think Ishie's right." Akeno answered.

Rias blushed in embarrassment.

"My parents are definitely visiting, since they might not get another chance for a while." Irina mentioned.

"My guardian is as well. Despite she's more like my older sister, she's also the closest thing I've ever had to an actual mother." Xenovia mentioned.

Koneko and Gasper were both silent, as neither had family who could nor would come.

"Tosca's the closest person I'd have to family, but she won't be at the local hospital until tonight, and she's still comatose for now." Kiba mentioned.

Akeno sighed after saying that, rubbing her arm.

"I might see my father... you never know." She mentioned, looking somewhat afraid.

"Still not ready to face him yet?" Rias asked.

Akeno shook her head, which managed to somehow match the timing of a magic circle with the Gremory crest inside of it. It wasn't long before four silhouettes appeared, two of them being Sirzechs and Grayfia.

"Sorry, were we interrupting something?" Sirzechs asked.

"Lord Sirzechs!" Most of the ORC exclaimed.

They all bowed in response, while Ishie felt her eyes widen as she finally saw Sirzechs in person for the first time.

'This is her older brother, the current Lucifer? The resemblance between them is kind of scary...' She thought.

Sirzechs looked at her, making her stiffen.

"You can relax. I'm just glad you and I can finally meet in person, Ishie Hyoudou." He greeted.

"Oh, OK." Ishie replied, trying to relax.

"Since I hadn't got the chance to before now, I'd like to thank you for taking care of Rias and being such an excellent Bishop under her. I hope you continue serving her well from here on out." Sirzechs praised.

Ishie blushed at the compliment, causing her to mind to race a bit.

"N-No problem at all! A-After all, she saved my l-life!" She stuttered.

As she was about to continue speaking, one of the two silhouettes appeared behind her and then tightly gripped her shoulders, making her wince... and then relax as she felt one of her pressure points being activated.

"Uncle Sirzechs told you to relax, not to start babbling." The unknown person remarked, massaging her shoulders.

"Sorry." She replied.

Once they got Ishie's tension out of the way, the figure in question quickly rejoined Sirzechs, Grayfia, and their other mystery guest. It was then that Ishie decided to actually ask about them.

"Wait, who are these two?" Ishie inquired.

Grayfia motioned to the one who removed Ishie's tension, revealing she was a buxom 16-year old girl with silver hair reaching to her belly button, with some of the hair behind her left ear being braided to a similar length as it rested over her shoulder. It made her look like a younger Grayfia, but with silver eyes instead of red ones.

Her attire consisted of a black shirt with golden-caramel accents at the edges of the shirt and spread horizontally near the bottom, with two light golden trims going down the shirt, which split slightly above her stomach to expose her midriff. She also had blue jeans shorts, which a white outline at the top.

"This is Sylvie Lilith, my niece and the Lilith Clan's heir." Grayfia revealed.

"My real name's Sylvia, but don't ever call me that... please." Sylvie replied.

Ishie blinked at that.

"Her father was my younger brother, who named her after me for... reasons you don't want to hear." Grayfia explained.

Sylvie made a gagging sound after for emphasis.

"OK, I'll take your word for it." Ishie replied, suddenly feeling nervous.

It was no surprise, since the aura she felt from Sylvie was incredible!

**('Even if she's meant to be part of the eventual Seven Satan system, her power shouldn't be equal to one of their descendants without some kind of aid. Why don't you ask about it?')** Albion suggested, somewhat curious to how Sylvie had so much power.

'Now that you mention that? I will ask, because I'm just as curious.' Ishie agreed, deciding she'd do just that.

She cleared her throat.

"Say, why do I feel such a great aura from her? Albion's noticed it doesn't seem to match yours." Ishie asked, looking at Grayfia and Sirzechs.

"I had a feeling he might notice, and to answer that? The heirs to the Clans that will be part of the Seven Satan system, like Sylvie here, had their powers enhanced to the level of the current Satan heirs by ingesting an elixir we made from some of the King Pieces." Sirzechs explained.

"King Pieces?" Ishie repeated.

Looking at Rias, she gave a confused look.

"Am I missing something? You said that there weren't Evil Pieces based on the Kings, or did I misunderstand that in some way?" Ishie inquired.

"No, it's just as you thought, but there was a piece based on the Kings during the early stages of their creation." Rias explained.

Ishie tilted her head, more confused than ever.

"Allow me to explain. Early during their development, my friend Ajuka had pieces based on the King, which were meant to boost the leaders of a peerage to represent their status as one... only a few problems occurred across all the Devils who were beta testing them. Power boosts for some could be tenfold and another would be a hundredfold, while others became Stray Devils of the worst rankings, and worse? Some Devils' bodies ended up exploding from the power." Sirzechs explained.

She paled at that.

"So, they do exist, but they had to be discontinued and were never mass produced?" Ishie stated.

"That's right, only thirteen of them were ever made. Out of those thirteen, ten of them can only be used by the Kings ranked in Rating Game's the Top 10 players, and only during a serious crisis. The other three got melted down to empower Sylvie, Roygun's daughter, and the current Mammon heir." Sirzechs confirmed.

After getting her answer, she looked at the unknown figure.

It was a beautiful buxom girl around her age with long purple hair that reached down to her hips and orange eyes. Ishie couldn't put her finger on it, but there was something about her that made him feel like she was looking at the daughter of a ruler or a noble.

Her attire consisted of an open blue hoodie, a sleeveless strapped dress shirt of a light sea foam green shown underneath it, with purple and dark green plaid shorts.

"Greetings to meet you, Ishie Hyoudou of the Gremory Household. My name is Ingvild Leviathan." She revealed, bowing towards her.

Ishie gasped at that.

'No wonder she felt like a royal's daughter... she is one!' She realized.

"Apologies if my appearance surprises you, but since Lady Serafall will be at the upcoming summit, I will be there to learn my role once I eventually succeed her as the next Leviathan." Ingvild explained.

"Same reason I'm here, since my aunt's also part of the proceedings." Sylvie mentioned.

Rias sighed a little.

"Is there any particular reason you're here so early?" She asked.

"It's part of work. Since we're holding the summit here, I'm making sure nothing accidentally gives Serafall the wrong idea about what might have happened to Sona." He admitted, looking somewhat embarrassed.

Rias let out an even louder sigh, shaking her head at how easily she expected such an answer.

'This conversation is all discombobulated...' Ishie noted, letting out a quiet and awkward laugh.

* * *

Eventually, everyone went home for the night to deal with their respective preparations before Open House, but on the roof of the Hyoudou Household? An unexpected guest could be seen as the shadowed silhouette of Vali's body came into view.

He was currently looking into her bedroom with boosted vision, seeing the sleeping form of Ishie as she smiled over an exciting dream.

**("It still surprises me how Albion's current host is a mere schoolgirl. Such a downgrade from before.")** Ddraig sighed.

"I recall what you told me about her predecessor. Their standard was already a high one to surpass, but I'm outright insulted she's more than likely the weakest White Dragon Emperor to date." Vali agreed.

As he focused on his rival, he was left unaware that friend of his had made their appearance.

"Don't you think her having a large gap benefits us in the end?" They asked, smiling at them.

Vali turned around.

"Seriously, you need to stop sneaking up on me." He sighed.

"I don't see a problem. After all, no accidental attacks of yours could ever hurt me." They replied, shrugging in response.

Hearing that reply, Vali rolled his eyes as Ddraig groaned.

"While it may benefit us, that also means my fight against her will be so easy, it's guaranteed. I'd have at least liked some resistance before I crushed her, so I could really cement my triumph in the end." He sighed.

After hearing this, Vali's unknown friend looked at Ishie, only to sense something from her necklace.

'Hmm...' They thought.

"Well, better get away from here before anyone suspects we're trying to assassinate her. Our plan won't work if she's not alive when the summit commences." Vali remarked.

Both of disappeared, with neither of them noticing Alicia watching them leave.

* * *

The following morning, Ishie was waiting outside for the church trio, and turned as she heard Asia walk through the door.

"Ishie, do you mind going on ahead?" She asked.

"Not at all, but why do you ask?" Ishie inquired.

"Xenovia stayed up late trying to study, and now she's having trouble waking up. Irina and I are trying to help her get on her feet." Asia explained.

Ishie chuckled slightly.

"Ouch." She remarked.

Asia chuckled slight in reply, nodding her head as she did.

"Alright, I'll meet you all at school." Ishie replied, heading out.

"See you later." Asia replied as she waved.

Ishie continued walking to school, with nothing eventful happening... until she got near the gates, making her right hand flare up.

"Ow! What the?" She winced.

Turning around, she tried to find the source of what made her hand flare up... only to notice no students were present.

"Albion, are we-" Ishie asked, starting to sweat.

**("Ishie, bend back, now!)** Her partner warned.

She did just that, barely avoiding a finger thrusting at her like a sword's tip. Staring at the finger, her eyes slowly looked up, seeing the owner of said finger.

It was a handsome young man around her age. He had light silver hair and purple eyes, both of which had a sharp look that made him look kind of cool, yet also made Ishie tell she was in danger.

His attire consisted of a burgundy V-neck shirt with a high-collared black leather jacket over it, dark green jeans with a silver chain drooping down over them, and black shoes with black buckles.

"How vulnerable you are. It wouldn't take much effort for me to beat you, Ishie Hyoudou." Vali smirked.

Ishie barely managed to keep her cool.

"What's going on? Who are you!?" She asked, feeling herself sweat.

"I am Vali, the Red Dragon." He answered.

Ishie felt her eyes widen as she heard that, especially as she realized her current situation. Right now, she was on her own, and likely too far from any of her friends for them to reach her in time.

"Stay back, Red Dragon!" Sylvie shouted.

Vali shifted his eyes as he moved back, seeing a surge of water slam where he was just standing. Ishie was surprised as Sylvie landed before her, with Ingvild soon following as her left hand had a magic circle hovering over it.

"Did you already forget the warning you were given, or do you honestly think you're above those rules?" Ingvild questioned.

"And if this is a joke? Then stop it now, or we will use all our strength to make you regret it." Sylvie demanded, glaring at him.

He let out a sigh.

"Fine, I'll stand down." Vali promised, waving his hand out.

The dimensional barrier faded, causing the other members of the ORC to see all of them reappear.

"Ishie!"

She turned as they all ran to her.

"Are you alright?" Irina asked.

"I'm fine, you can thank Ingvild and Sylvie for that." Ishie reassured her.

Vali began to walk away.

"Be aware if you try anything like this again? We will retaliate." Rias warned.

"That threat doesn't scare me if you're making it. After all, if Kokabiel was too strong for you? Then you'll never beat me." Vali retorted, smirking as he did.

Rias growled at him.

"Also, be aware of this Ishie Hyoudou... I wasn't even using my full strength against Kokabiel." He warned.

Ishie's eyes widened as he disappeared from view, causing Rias to wince as she tightly grabbed her hand.

"Are you OK?" Rias asked.

Her Bishop didn't answer, making her look to see she was sweating bullets from her face, looking like she was about to have a panic attack.

"You should let her rest in the nurse's office for a while." Ingvild recommended.

"Yeah, I think you're right. Come on Ishie." Rias agreed, pulling on her hand.

Ishie allowed her to take her to the nurse, currently unable to anything besides take deep breathes to hopefully calm herself down.

* * *

Half an hour went by as Ishie began to recuperate in the nurse's office.

**("Ishie, are you alright?")** Albion asked with concern.

"Yeah, now that the shock's starting to fade away, I'm doing better. Still, to think the Red Dragon would be so terrifying in person..." She answered.

Albion went silent at that.

**("Ishie, there's something Ddraig wanted me to tell you on the night we fought Kokabiel, but I didn't tell you before now because I was worried you that it might overwhelm you at the time. Now that you've met Vali in person, I think it's better that you know.")** He admitted.

Ishie blinked at that.

"Let me guess, you had a good feeling that I'd faint like Koneko did?" She guessed.

**("Not exactly, but I guess it is along the same lines.")** Albion replied.

"Either way, I'm listening." Ishie replied.

**("Then I guess the best way to explain this would be where it all began.")** He decided.

Taking a moment to pause, Albion began his story.

**("When the Three Great Powers began the Great War? Aside from the other mythological faction's gods, every other race such as the Youkai, spirits, fairies, and many others had to pick a side for the sake of survival... except for the Dragons who believed it didn't involve them.")** Albion started.

"I can believe that. Most of the stories I've read claim Dragons are powerful creatures, possibly the strongest when one considers God or Deity as a title, rather than a race." Ishie remarked.

**("And those stories aren't too far off from the truth. However, that would eventually change when Ddraig and I were in one of our many battles, and ended up on the battlefield. Why were we fighting? Well... are you familiar with the story of the unstoppable force and the immovable object?")** Albion continued.

"Hmm... yeah, I think so. Isn't it about a spear that can pierce anything and a shield that can't be pierced?" Ishie asked.

**("That's one variant of the story, so we'll go with it for the sake of you being able to follow properly. Anyways, me and Ddraig were Dragons born with great powers, both of which could destroy Gods and their souls. For Ddraig, it was a powerful flame he blasted from his mouth, while I emitted a powerful almost invisible venom from my body.")**

**("We were strong, but such powers made us so bored because we had no one to challenge us. Then the day came when we managed to find each other, and both of us attacked one another... only to find our respective powers useless. It was such a shock, and yet, it gave us a purpose. We chose to seal our power and develop our signature Boost and Divide abilities, among other powers we've forgotten about.")**

**("These battles would continue for centuries, and then 1300 years after we began fighting... we ended up inside the Great War, leading to everyone trying to stop us. We were both infuriated by their attempts to stop our battle, and retaliated. The anger we felt pushed our Dragon instincts enough that all three races were forced to fight us as a team. In the end, most of our bodies were destroyed, leaving only Ddraig's left hand and my wings.")**

Ishie felt her eyes widen.

"So, this eternal conflict is the result of you two continuing your rivalry?" She asked.

**("Correct, our hosts have acted as our intermediaries over the years. Though I will admit... I've begun to lose interest in the fighting. Unfortunately, Ddraig feels the opposite since our last few fights have ended with him and his hosts the winners.")** Albion confirmed.

Ishie gulped as she heard him say that.

**("See, each of us have a certain term tied to us. Ddraig's is Domination, while mine is Supremacy, and that's where the scales tipped. The era after the Great War was a time where empires and kingdoms thrived, so my hosts had the advantage in their subjects. Unfortunately, as civilization began to change, so did the environments that favored my abilities. Ddraig's powers allowed him to fight alone, and before long... my hosts began to struggle.")** He revealed.

"Because your Divide is stronger when there's more power to take power from, meaning you technically had the disadvantage. Though how does this... wait, are you saying when you had a body that you were an, if not _the_ immovable object?" Ishie questioned.

Albion said nothing at first.

"Oh, my god... you are!" She realized.

**("My scales and wings were sturdier than Ddraig's, but he had sharper horns and claws, so our hosts' lack of each had a major influence in the battles we had through them. It was when the modern era neared that this worked against me. This was shown best with Vali's predecessor, Belzard.")** Albion replied.

"How strong was he?" Ishie asked.

**("Strong enough... that he lived to fight three of my wielders.")** He revealed.

"As in... he killed two wielders and lost to a third?" Ishie guessed, sweating slightly.

**("No, the battle between him and my predecessor ended with them taking each other out, so in a sense? Not one of the White Dragons defeated him.")** Albion replied, closing his eyes.

Ishie didn't reply, feeling a drop of sweat fall off her cheek.

**("And this worries me... because the message Ddraig gave me? It was that this could be our final fight, and based on my last few battles, I'm worried that I may have doomed you to die because I've been the one losing this fight. Vali's strength just adds to this worry, especially since...")** Albion explained somberly.

"You think that Vali might be stronger than Belzard, don't you?" She guessed.

**("I do, because I can tell he's not entire Human, even if I can't identity his other half. Add in his training under the Norse Gods, and he may be the best of Ddraig's hosts that will ever live.")** He confirmed.

Hearing that, Ishie began thinking about what his non-human half could be. It wasn't long before she gasped as an idea hit her.

"Albion, I think Vali might be... a demigod." Ishie guessed.

**("Him, a demigod? Why do you say that?")** Albion inquired.

"Because of my love for fairy tales, I always let Irina tell me stories from the Bible, including their alternatives. One of them says Jesus Christ was known as God as well, but more so as God the Son... like how there's a Vali that's the son of Odin in Norse myth." She explained.

The White Dragon's eyes widen, letting out a slight gasp.

"That's right, considering he's allied with the Viking Gods? I wouldn't be surprised if Odin had another child with a Human he named after this one, especially since some legends say he could be a God/Giant hybrid, and others a demigod depending on his mother's race. The legends we know could be enough of a reason for it." Ishie replied, confirming his thoughts.

**("Damn it... are we truly being forced to overcome such a powerful wall?")** Albion questioned, feeling his worry grow.

At that moment, Ishie sat up and put her shoes back on, confusing her partner.

"Well, isn't it the greatest challenge of a hero to break such walls down?" Ishie asked, smiling as she did.

Hearing that, Albion gave a quiet chuckle.

**("Agreed, if my last host could defeat Belzard in the end, then I'm certain you'll be able to find a way to defeat Vali. I'll put my faith in you, so don't let me down.")** He replied, feeling some of Ishie's confidence.

Ishie giggled before getting up and leaving the nurse's office.

* * *

Once she finally got back to class, the most embarrassing part of Open House began as everyone sat in class, with everyone holding a lump of modeling clay as their parents and/or related family were seen sitting in the back of class.

"Alright everyone, on your desk we have a lump of clay, and you're probably wondering what it's for? It's a concept of one's individuality. All of us have conversations with the same words and phrases as others, but each of us has our own ways of expressing themselves to helps define us from both our friends and our families." Their teacher stated.

"Hmm... OK, so it needs to be something that defines me. What should I make for that?" Ishie asked herself.

"Smile for the camera!" Arisa shouted.

Ishie blushed as her parents filmed her and Asia, with her grandma waving at her. It caused her to shape the clay unconsciously as she made something familiar.

'Pay no attention to them. Pay no attention to them.' Ishie repeated in her mind.

After she sculpted her clay enough, her teacher saw what she made, and his eyes widened.

"Ishie!" He shouted.

"Huh, what?" She replied.

That caused her to finally notice she had made a sculpture of Rassei... while firing out lightning! Most of the class was shocked at her creation.

"Hey, isn't that-" Katase asked, unable to stop staring.

"Yeah, I think it is!" Murayama quickly answered.

Seeing everyone's eyes on her, Ishie let out an awkward chuckle at the sudden attention.

"Look at how popular our daughter is." Alicia remarked, tearing up at the sight.

"Took her long enough." Arisa joked.

"Grandma!" Ishie exclaimed in embarrassment.

At that moment, Xenovia's face scrunched up as she started to laugh again, this time unable to keep it to snorting. Irina looked at her in surprise.

'Is this because we got kicked out of the church, or has she just barely if ever been exposed to anything funny?' She thought, feeling awkward.

Ishie covered her face, hiding her blush.

* * *

When everyone's classes were finally over, Rias was seen looking at the Rassei sculpture, with the young Sprite Dragon flying around it as his young mind tried to understand what it was.

"This is incredibly well made, though are you sure you didn't sculpt it using magic?" She inquired.

"If I did use magic, then it wasn't consciously." Ishie replied, shrugging with uncertainty.

Ingvild was walking by as the ORC was talking to each other. Ishie was quick to notice her, the worried expression on her face, and moving of her head that implied she was looking for someone.

"Hey Ingvild, is something wrong?" She asked, waving towards her.

Seeing Ishie look her way, she nervously twiddled her fingers.

"Yeah... I can't find where Lady Serafall is, and now I'm worried because of how... unique she can be." Ingvild answered.

"Unique? Hold on... Rias, didn't you tell me that we couldn't call her to help with Kokabiel because of-" Ishie recalled.

"I did, though knowing Lady Serafall? She'll show soon enough." Rias replied.

At that moment, everyone saw a group of male students rush by.

"Come on, hurry! A magic girl photo shoot!" Motohama exclaimed, holding his phone.

"Come on photography club! We gotta represent!" Matsuda shouted, holding a camera.

Ishie blinked in response.

"Just follow the hormonal boys, that's where she is." Ingvild sighed, shaking her head as she placed her hand on it.

Ishie just gave an awkward laugh in response, unsure of what she should say.

* * *

Walking into the gym, Ishie saw all the boys taking pictures of a beautiful girl looking in her late teens (though younger than Sona) with black hair, tied into twin tails and blue eyes. At the moment, she was dressed in magical girl's clothing, magic wand and all.

"Hold on, am I going crazy, or is she actually wearing a Magical Girl Milky Spiral Seven cosplay outfit?" Ishie asked, pointing at her.

"And why does she look so young compared to Sirzechs?" Irina added.

Asia looked at Ishie, wondering how she knew about that costume. Ishie herself quickly realized what she was about to ask her and looked towards Asia, rubbing the back of her head in embarrassment.

"Irina and I watched the whole show as children." She admitted.

Irina gave an awkward laugh as she nodded her head in confirmation. Right as she did, Momo walked from behind the curtains.

"Knock it off! We're still on school grounds, and you've seen more than enough!" She warned, making Serafall out slightly.

"It's just a freaking photo shoot!" Matsuda complained.

"Move out of the way!" The boys shouted in unison.

"Go now, or I'll write all of you up! You have no right to disrupt open house with your selfishness!" Momo warned, flaring her aura slightly.

The boys all flinched, running out of the room without any further argument.

Once they were all gone, Momo sighed before looking at her King's older sister.

"Lady Serafall, may I ask the reason behind why you're wearing your... uh, usual outfit to open house?" She inquired, raising an eye.

"Why not? After all, it's now in the dress code." Serafall answered.

"For the last time... the dropping of school uniforms and formal attire isn't going to be applied to our school until next trimester, so it's still inappropriate." Momo clarified.

Serafall blinked at that.

"Sparkle shine, your command is mine!" She replied, doing a pose.

"Oh, for the love of..." Momo groaned as she face palmed herself.

Ishie was surprised to hear about the mention of a possible dress code change, but before she could ask about it, Sona slammed the door open.

"Momo, what's going on here?" She asked.

Momo flinched at that, while Serafall smiled.

"I finally found you Sona!" She shouted.

Sona's hair frizzled slightly as she saw her sister, making Ishie's eyes widen at the normally collected Devil lose her composure.

"I'm so happy to see you!" She exclaimed, jumping towards her sister to give her a big hug.

'Help!' Sona begged through her eyes.

Luckily, it was Ingvild who did just that, somehow managing to appear in Serafall's path and holding her in place before she could crash into Sona.

"Lady Serafall, we are in the school your sister is responsible for by being the Student Council President, so don't cause trouble for her." Ingvild stated.

"Aww..." She pouted.

Sona let out a sigh of relief.

"Rias, mind piecing the gaps in my knowledge for me?" Ishie requested.

Rias giggled slightly.

"Lady Serafall is like my brother, doting on Sona as much as Sirzechs dotes on me, the only problem in her case?" She explained.

"Her love for her little sister is kind of an obsession. She means well, but sometimes she can get carried away." Akeno finished.

At that same time, Ingvild pointed towards Ishie.

"If you need to focus on something besides your busy sister, then why not talk to the White Dragon herself?" Ingvild suggested.

Serafall looked to see Ishie, making the latter nervous.

"Uh... hi there! My name's Ishie Hyoudou, a Bishop serving under Rias Gremory." She nervously greeted.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Serafall Leviathan, but you can call me Little Levia." Serafall greeted.

Momo stood by her side at that moment.

"Whatever you do? Do _not_ let her start sparkling, or she'll destroy Japan four times over!" She whispered.

Ishie paled at that.

'Four times over!?' She thought.

**('I don't remember the original Leviathan being _that_ strong, so I'd listen...')** Albion suggested.

'Noted.' Ishie agreed.

Sona tried to leave at that moment, before her sister noticed.

"Huh? Sona, where are you going!?" Serafall asked.

"No, leave me alone!" Sona cried, starting to run away.

Ingvild sighed as she saw Momo chase after the duo, briefly looked at everyone.

"I better go help Sona before Lady Serafall gives her a mental breakdown." She stated.

She quickly followed after them.

"OK, uh... how about we go find our folks now?" Ishie suggested.

After all the craziness from today? She needed an excuse to go home.

* * *

Making it to the main hallway, Ishie began looking for her parents, which is when Gorou noticed her and cleared his throat.

"Ishie, over here!" He called out.

Turning her head, Ishie saw her father with a man who had a goatee and wore a white suit, resembling Rias down to having the same crimson hair. Ishie was quick to assume this man was likely Lord Gremory.

"Oh, hey there dad. Where did mom and grandma go?" Ishie asked.

"Your grandma wanted some mother-daughter time, so they went somewhere. I'm not sure when they'll be back." Gorou replied.

Rias soon walked into view, getting the man's attention.

"There you are Rias. I've been looking for you." He greeted.

"Hello father." Rias greeted back.

Her father, Zeoticus Gremory, soon looked towards Ishie.

"Ah, you must be Ishie. My son has told about how you've been taking care of my daughter." Zeoticus smiled.

Ishie blushed at that.

"Nice to meet you, and thank you." She replied.

"Ooh, this gives me an idea!" Gorou exclaimed.

He looked at Zeoticus.

"Why don't you come over to my house for some whisky? I'll go stop by the store, and we can see each other's videos!" He suggested.

Ishie and Rias paled at that.

As the two of them left to go pick up their alcohol, Irina let out a slightly laugh.

"So, your father is about to get drunk with a Devil... weird, huh?" She remarked.

"Yeah, maybe a little." Asia agreed.

Right after saying that, Rias heard laughter and saw her brother walking down the stairs, which made her nervous.

"Why are you laughing?" She asked.

"Because it looks like we're having a slumber party with father tonight." He answered.

Ishie and Rias lowered their heads in response, prompting Irina and Asia to pat their backs.

Tonight was going to be exhausting for both of them.

* * *

**And that's it for this chapter, which was mainly filler considering what it covered. That being said, there was a bit of progression and lore introduced, like the first official meeting between Ishie and Vali. There was also the surprise appearance of Ingvild, as while I'm sure some people knew she'd be appearing due to the Seven Satan system, there was nothing that implied she'd appear in this arc.**

**One thing I'd like to make clear before anyone has any misunderstandings? Everything that Ishie tells Albion near the end of her time in the nurse's office is currently just some theories of hers in-story, so don't take any of what she says seriously until something proves or disproves her theories. I mostly made that scene to give them a chance to strengthen their bond and show how Ishie as some supernatural knowledge from the stories she's read.**

**The idea with the King Pieces was something I realized a while back, since without a power boost? All of the heirs to the chosen Clans wouldn't be as strong as the natural grandchildren of the Satans, leaving a power gap. Since the elders in this story aren't as corrupt as their canon selves, they were alright with melting some of the King Pieces they weren't using to fix this problem.**

**As for Gasper? He doesn't have to be sealed any longer since Ishie's blood helped stabilize him, but don't worry about that affecting his role in the Summit arc by too much, as Ishie still needs to hear his fully story. Not only that, but while his powers are stabilized? He can still accidentally stop time when his emotions get too wild, but the threshold has become incredibly high.**

**I'll admit this arc might seem fast, and just going by scenes from canon, it probably would be this way... though to balance this? There's going to be a lot of original content that will happen after the summit ends, and still be part of the arc unlike how Chapter 8 was standalone from the Riser arc. I can't say much about it just yet, but I will say it expands on things related to Ishie, Gasper, and Vali once this story reaches that point.**

**Until next time everyone, and stay awesome! ^^**


	13. Harbinger of Khaos

**It's time for things to start reaching a fever point in this arc, as we've now reached the part of the story where Gasper originally debuted, which is when the events of V4 switch from the lighthearted Open House events to the serious moments both before and during the Khaos Brigade's invasion. However, due to Gasper already being unsealed, there's a lot of things that won't be as they were before.**

**Anyways, a lot of events will happen in this chapter, such as Ishie finally hearing Gasper's story and her first encounter with Azazel... which will be affected by how she only has word of who he is to go on due to Kokabiel taking his place as the one who summoned her. Other than that, the rest is a mystery, since many events both prior to and after Open House can't happen as a result of prior changes.**

**For everything else, I can only really recommend for all of you to grab something like a bowl of popcorn, because things are about to get fairly intense. Also, it seems that a lot of reviews decided to tease Sylvie by calling her Sylvia, despite how she warned people in-story not to. *giggles* Since she can't actually do anything to anyone outside the story, and I thought that was a funny thing all the reviews did... perhaps I should show what happens if someone does?**

**That's it for today's start notes, so let's get this chapter started!**

* * *

**[Chapter 13 - Harbinger of Khaos]**

Ishie and Rias were both sitting at the former's kitchen table, looking embarrassed as Gorou showed video of today's class. Making it worse is right now, their fathers were already drunk.

"Aw, look at how bashful you are, Ishie!" Gorou smiled.

"Rias, please delete that video for me." Ishie begged.

Rias said nothing, knowing that if she tried, her father would likely just bring it back later. It didn't take long for Ishie to let out a loud scream and stand up.

"That's it! I'm going in my room, you stupid jerk!" She stated, nearly stomping her way upstairs.

Asia, Irina, and Xenovia all stared at the sight in surprise, while Rias let out an expectant sigh.

"Can one of you go upstairs? I'd do it, but Ishie might claim it's just my excuse to avoid my own embarrassment, so I need to stay... and take it." Rias requested.

Just as she was saying that, her father began playing the video he took of _her_ class.

"Now, if you excuse me? I need to survive through my father's personal Hell..." She groaned, holding her head.

"Good luck Rias." Irina whispered.

With those words, Irina ended up being the one who went upstairs to follow Ishie, though she was surprised to see her sitting in the hall instead of her room like she claimed.

"Ishie?" She said.

"Hmm?" Ishie blinked.

Turning her head, she saw Irina standing nearby, letting out a sigh.

"I... get that the video might be embarrassing, but-" Irina stated.

"No, it isn't that." Ishie replied.

"Huh?" Irina blinked in surprise.

"Don't let what I said color any thoughts you have. I only did that to let my father know I was mad and felt he crossed a line. He's working most of the time, and I usually only see him every morning and around nightfall, so there are times it feels like he doesn't know me as well as my mother does." She explained.

Irina didn't say anything, realizing she had already seen evidence of that.

Back when Aiko and Yuuki were still alive, she rarely saw Ishie's father, who had to work even more than he did today, since he had five mouths to feed. It made sense that Ishie wasn't as close to him despite loving him as much as she loved her mother.

"Guess I can understand that. My father and I saw each other often because we went to church together, so his job still kept us close." She realized.

"It doesn't help my mom wasn't home to reel him in once he went too far. I get most dads think it's their job to embarrass us, but sometimes they just don't seem to realize you need to build a wall somewhere." Ishie replied with a sigh.

"It might not be for embarrassment, but I do understand about knowing where to draw a line." Sirzechs agreed.

Both girls screamed in surprise as they saw Sirzechs was now in the hallway, right as he turned the lights on.

"Don't do that!" They both screamed.

"Sorry, but I didn't know how else to get your attention." He apologized.

He soon got hit in the head by a chicken bone Irina had been eating before coming up.

"OK, I deserved that." Sirzechs admitted.

Ishie quickly got back on her feet.

"So, do you need something?" Ishie asked, still feeling slightly annoyed.

"Ishie, if it isn't too much trouble, I need you to make sure Gasper has better control of his power by the time of the Summit." Sirzechs requested.

That confused her somewhat.

"I don't get it?" Ishie replied.

"As you may know, Gasper was sealed away because his Sacred Gear allows him to stop time. Even though tasting your blood has helped give him some sense of control, it's still too much of a threat if he becomes too emotional, and this is a problem because his participation in the summit is mandatory." He explained.

"Because he wasn't just a witness to the event, but participated in the battle." Irina realized.

"That's right, and I worry some of the things he might hear could cause time to stop and disrupt the proceedings. Not only that, but he still has scars from his past. Scars that Rias hasn't been able to help him heal like the rest of her peerage. Hopefully, you might be able to help him there as well." Sirzechs continued.

Realizing what he was asking, Ishie took a deep breath.

"Alright, I'll try to help him any way I can." She decided.

"Thank you. Now, I believe we should all return downstairs before anyone thinks we're hiding some kind of secret." Sirzechs smiled.

"Like how Ishie's father is drinking with Lucifer?" Irina replied, giggling slightly.

That actually made Sirzechs laugh slightly, with Ishie quickly doing the same.

* * *

After coming downstairs, Rias and moved into the living room, where Ishie told her what Sirzechs had just requested of her. In response, she let out a sigh.

"I see... if that's the case, then I should tell you his story." Rias decided.

"Huh? No offense, but shouldn't Gasper be the one who-" Ishie asked.

"If I made him tell you, then it would hurt him too much... especially since he's outright tried to forget almost everything about his past." Rias interjected.

That immediately silenced Ishie, who stared at Rias with shock.

"You're aware of how Devils society is full of nobles, not unlike the monarchic societies from the middle of the second millennia, correct?" She asked.

Ishie silently nodded, not sure if she should reply verbally at this point.

"In the society of Vampires, this is also the case, but probably to its extreme. They care more about pedigree than anything else, unlike us Devils who are more flexible as long as power is involved and have a more democratic leadership. As such, any child that's not a pure Vampire, such as Gasper, are considered abominations to them." Rias revealed.

"How bad is it?" Ishie asked.

"All of his family discriminated against him, including his own father. What's even sadder... Gasper's mother, the one light he should have had in the darkness of his family life, died during childbirth because of his Sacred Gear cursing her and the medical staff to death." Rias answered.

Ishie gasped as she heard that.

"It eventually became too much for Gasper, and he left his home. I couldn't blame him for that. Among the various supernatural races, the Vampires are considered quite a horrible bunch for their racism to any non-Vampires, and even the Celtic Gods they live under prefer to ignore their existence." She continued.

"That's how you two met each, isn't it?" Ishie realized.

"No, I'm afraid that was only the beginning of the tragedies he had already faced. Just to be treated as a pariah as family is bad enough... but Gasper's unfortunate to be my only servant to suffer both mental _and_ physical scars." Rias replied.

"What!?" Ishie gasped, nearly a whisper.

"Gasper had hoped the Human world might be kinder to him, but it wasn't. They treated him like a monster and went as far to throw rocks at him. Worse, that was ignoring his power to stop time, which at the time he was completely unable to control through his emotions. Gasper wasn't just feared, he was loathed... enough he wanted to die." She revealed.

Ishie nearly expelled her dinner from her stomach, covering her mouth as she barely managed to hold it in.

"That hadn't been an exaggeration either. He let Vampire Hunters find him, and then kill him. At the time, I was in the area as a result of studying human nobility of Europe's past, and followed the rumors until I found his dead body. I wasn't too late to help, and decided to be the light he needed." Rias continued.

She closed her eyes as she recalled the memory.

* * *

_A drop of water suddenly caused a nearby lake to ripple, with Gasper feeling his eyes open as life returned to his body._

_At first, he questioned if rather than dying, he had just passed out... only to see the puddle of blood on the ground and the stains on his shirt that said otherwise._

_"W-What's going on here?" He asked fearfully._

_"Thank goodness, I wasn't too late." Rias smiled._

_Looking up, she saw Rias Gremory standing before him, wearing a navy outfit that made her look like a male noble, and she was riding a white horse with a silvery white mane. He was surprised by the sight of her, as she wasn't afraid or trying to do him harm._

_"What's your name?" She asked._

_Gasper felt himself blink as that question made him realize where he was, and felt his fear come back slightly, if only because he wasn't sure what would happen next._

_"I-It's Gasper... Gasper Vladi." He answered._

_"Vladi?" Rias repeated in surprise._

_She was aware of a few families within the culture of Vampires, and how the Vladi name was a prominent one among the Tepes Faction._

_"What would bring a Vampire from such a big family out here?" She inquired._

_"I... I just wanted to disappear. My father treats me like I don't exist, everyone in town threw rocks at me and-" Gasper answered, starting to tear up._

_Rias felt her eyes widen as Gasper suddenly knelt on the ground and finished answering her._

_Except she hadn't see him move, or heard anything past how people throwing rocks at him._

_'Was that a Sacred Gear? Then, that would mean everything I was able to hear him say is because he's...' Rias realized._

_She moved her horse a bit closer, getting Gasper's attention._

_"Do you have a power that doesn't come from being a Vampire?" She asked._

_Gasper sniffled as he nodded his head._

_"I wish I couldn't do it! I wish everyone wouldn't stop, because then they might not be scared of me! I hate it as much as everyone else! Everyone freezes right in front of my face, and there's nothing I can do about what I'm making happen!" He cried._

_While not an expert on Sacred Gears, Gasper's description of his power was one Rias recognized, as only one Sacred Gear had the power to do what he described._

_Forbidden Balor View._

_'Just what did this boy live through? Did he really get hunted here, or did he finally decide to give up on living?' Rias questioned._

_It was now obvious to her that fate brought them together. Gasper needed someone, and Rias was certain she was that someone._

_"Then live for me." She requested._

_"Huh?" Gasper blinked, looking at her._

_"Live for me, and find a way of being that will make you happy. You are now part of my household, and I promise to never abandon you." Rias vowed, smiling at him._

_Hearing those words, Gasper felt tears of joy flow out of his eyes at the kindness she just gave him._

_"Thank you..." He replied, sniffling as he did._

* * *

Rias opened her eyes, showing a guilty look on her face.

"However, even after I said that? I couldn't help him in the same way I helped the others. The scars he has... aren't like any of ours." Rias sadly stated.

"I... don't know what to say." Ishie replied.

Despite that, she was able to tell that Gasper had truly suffered the worst among the Gremory Team.

While she too died and had to suffer the loss of a loved one, not even she had physical scars, even if said scars were nothing more than temporary bruises or cuts he got from the rocks, rather than actual scars.

"And then, I was forced to seal him because I couldn't help him learn to control his power. I couldn't even lessen the pain of his past. Where everyone else has recovered to a point where they simply need to face the source of their pasts to heal, I could never make any genuine progress with him, and it was once enough that I questioned my value as a King." Rias continued.

Ishie said nothing, knowing what it was like to have that moment of weakness from a stressful time.

After all, she had gone through her own after she was nearly killed by Freed when she first met him.

"Maybe that's why my brother decided to ask you. Among everyone in my peerage, your story might be the only one that he can properly relate to." Rias realized.

"I won't lie, even I can agree with that." Ishie replied.

She let out a deep breath, looking Rias with a nervous expression.

"I don't mind telling him about the events with Raynare, but when it comes to my brother and sister-" She continued.

"Don't worry. I know that's still hard for you, so I'll explain that part to him like Irina did for all of us." Rias promised.

Ishie let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank you." She smiled.

* * *

A while later, once nightfall had come, Ishie was seen in her room as she stared at the ceiling, petting Rassei's head as the young Dragon nuzzled against her side.

*"KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!"*

The sound of someone knocking on her door got her attention, waking Rassei up.

"Ishie, it's me." Gasper stated.

"I see... did Rias already tell you my story?" Ishie asked.

Silence followed for a moment, leaving Rassei confused.

"Yeah, she did... I'm sorry all that happened to you." Gasper confirmed, holding his hands together.

Upon hearing that, Ishie got up and walked to the door, sitting down and placing her back against it.

"Hey, Gasper?" She began.

"Yeah?" He replied.

"Rias told me that you were a shut-in. However, were you one after joining Rias' peerage, or were you one long before then?" Ishie inquired.

Gasper was surprised by that question.

"I'm not sure how to answer that, though if you mean by the standard of Human society, then it was after I became a Devil." He answered.

He paused for a moment, with Ishie knowing he had more to say.

"But... if you're talking about being distant from people, for whatever reasons they have? Then it's been since I was old enough to understand the world around me." Gasper admitted.

"I meant the latter, because... while I didn't become a shut-in like you did? The death of my brother and sister changed me greatly. Like you, I began hiding from the world." Ishie answered.

Gasper listened in, wondering what Ishie meant by that.

"Back when Rias and the others met me, I was always focusing on my daydreams, ignoring reality as much as I could. My brother and sister were dead... and my best friend had moved away beyond my control shortly after they died. That was an illusion I tried to hold for the next ten years, only to be broken from a single action." She explained.

"What was it?" Gasper asked.

"I was nearly killed by that Freed bastard, during what I thought was me being summoned by a client." Ishie answered.

He gasped once he heard this.

"I tried lying to myself like I did when my siblings died and Irina moved away, but not unlike how two wrongs don't make a right? Telling myself the same lie only forced me to remember the truths I tried to block out for so long. Every memory I tried hiding or suppressing... quickly rose to the surface." She continued.

Tears filled her eyes, causing a few to slip out and land on Rassei's, who had begun cuddling her upon realizing how she felt from talking about this. It was almost as if she was crying for the both of them, since those tears left the young Dragon's eyes as if they were his own.

"All of those memories were horrible, but three in particular were the ones that cut me deeper than any blade ever could. Hearing my brother ask me to make the promise I refuse to break today... coming to the hospital from school to see my sister was now gone... and Irina crying as she apologized for leaving." Ishie revealed, crying as she did.

"You make it sound like you were broken by all of that. How did you manage to keep going after all of that?" Gasper asked.

Ishie wiped her tears, remembering Raynare.

"Because at my lowest? Someone was there to remind me what my promise meant, and that was Asia, right as Kokabiel's daughter kidnapped her. I wasn't letting anything happen to Asia after what she had done for me, and refused to lose her like I lost my siblings." Ishie revealed.

Hearing that, Gasper's eyes widened.

"I get it Gasper, really. The power to stop time is something many would find amazing. Not only that, but there are good uses for it, they can also be just as scary. However, the both of us were born with our Sacred Gears for a reason, and we'll never be able to escape this fate. That's why we have to use them for the sake of others, because..." She continued.

She took a deep breath.

"Because if we don't, we'll be afraid for the rest of our lives! No, worse than that, because it's worse to _not_ use our powers! After all, would you be willing to endure the guilt of causing someone you care for to die because you didn't use them when they could have saved someone's life!?" Ishie exclaimed.

Gasper gasped as she heard that, then suddenly smiled.

Ishie nearly fell over as he unlocked the door with his magic, making her look at him in surprise.

"I think you're amazing! You bear this legendary power, but instead of being afraid of the responsibility, you use it to make you unbelievably positive and courageous! Hearing you be that brave makes me think I could be brave too!" He shouted.

Hearing that made Ishie blush in response, though a loud sound made the two flinch.

"Hide!" She whispered in a panic.

Gasper quickly turned into a bat and hid under Ishie's bed, while Rassei stiffened his body to look like one of a few plushies in the room. Ishie quickly jumped back into bed and acted like she was asleep, holding it until their guest was hopefully convinced she actually was.

Luckily, it was Sirzechs that came to check on them, and he decided not to say anything before leaving.

"Let's wait until early morning before we do anything else, OK?" Ishie suggested, feeling sweat on her face.

"A-Agreed." Gasper replied, sweating in the same way.

Rassei released a quiet sound, nodding his head in agreement.

* * *

Later that morning, or early tomorrow (as Ishie didn't know what time it was when Gasper talked with her), the sound of screaming was heard near the old school building as Xenovia chased after Gasper with a cross in her hand.

"Do you call this running? If you don't move those legs, you'll be touched by this holy cross!" Xenovia shouted.

"Why is this part of the training!?" Gasper questioned, crying as he ran.

Ishie honestly tried not to laugh at the sight, but noticing how much Xenovia chasing after Gasper resembled an old cartoon, she eventually exploded into laughter and fell on her knees.

Asia and Irina both had sweat drops on their faces, trying to ignore their laugh sister/best friend's small laughing fit.

"Hey guys!" Saji shouted.

Hearing his voice, Ishie got up to see his arrival.

"Oh, hey there Saji. What's up?" She greeted.

"Sona thought I should help with Gasper's training, as I've also got some Dragon blood to offer through my Sacred Gear." He replied.

"You do?" Irina said in surprise.

"Did I never mention that?" Saji asked.

"Not even once, but that does explain you needing to be revived by 4 Pawns." Ishie answered.

A random chuckle was soon heard, getting everyone's attention as an unexpected guest appeared.

He had black hair with blonde bangs, with a black beard covering his chin, and violet eyes. He was also dressed in a black business suit, not unlike the ones Ishie's father had to wear at work.

"It looks like the Devil Households of Gremory and Sitri are gathered here." The man joked.

Irina and Xenovia's eyes widened before jumping in front of Ishie, drawing their swords out.

"What the? Guys, what's wrong?" Ishie asked.

Asia and Gasper hid behind her, while Saji moved between the group, forming his Sacred Gear on his left hand. It was revealed to resemble a black lizard with purple spheres for eyes and some yellow markings across its body.

"Ishie, whatever you do? Don't let him touch you!" Xenovia shouted.

"This man's Azazel, the leader of the Fallen Angels!" Irina revealed.

Once she heard that, Ishie's eyes widened, but rather than the expected fear one might have expected? The only thing ebbing off her aura was rage.

"Calm down, I'm not here to cause trouble. Besides, if I was, then all of you would have been by now." Azazel reassured them, waving his hand out.

Irina glared at him.

"I'm still not trusting you near Ishie! Even if you weren't responsible for Kokabiel's actions, you still take Sacred Gear users into your faction because of your obsession with them or kill them if you feel they're a threat, even if not to any of the Three Great Powers!" She shouted.

Hearing that, Ishie felt her eyes widen.

"Hold on, are you saying Raynare attacking me wasn't on orders from Kokabiel?" Ishie questioned, her aura starting to ebb out more anger.

"Yeah, I'll admit it. That was my order she was falling. No need to get too worked up, that was more generalized than focused on you." Azazel admitted.

Ishie growled and tried to rush at him, but Asia and Gasper held him back.

"I do admit it is a surprise to see the White Dragon Emperor alongside the Forbidden Balor View and Absorption Line." He continued.

"Huh? Wait, do you mean this?" Saji asked, looking at his Sacred Gear.

"That's right. It's one of four Sacred Gears housing the soul of the Prison Dragon Vritra, an Evil Dragon and one of the Five Dragon Kings, with this one being able to unleash a tongue that can latch onto someone siphon their power. Being able to bind someone in place is just a secondary perk, but still fairly useful on its own." Azazel confirmed.

Saji's eyes widened.

"One of the Dragon Kings... who would have thought?" He said to himself.

"Well, it looks like no one else is here, so I'll leave now." Azazel decided.

He prepared to walk off.

"Hold on!" Ishie shouted.

Azazel paused, turning around to look at Ishie, who everyone else was looking at with worry and concern.

"I don't care what reasons you had! After what happened to me and my friends through Raynare, and then recently Kokabiel? Even if I'll be willing to trust Fallen Angels like my friend Akeno... you are the one Fallen Angel I will _never_ trust!" Ishie warned, her voice full of anger.

Hearing that, he sighed.

"Fair enough. After all, once this summit ends, I'll be stepping down for that very reason. Hopefully my successor is someone you'll be able to trust." He replied.

With that, he walked away, leaving everyone to watch.

"Ishie, are you alright?" Irina asked, looking concerned.

"I'm fine, I just... needed to say that, or I might have done something that worse." She reassured her.

She let out a sigh and sat down.

"I don't understand him anymore than you do Ishie, but I can respect he's willing to accept these recent incidents as a sign the Fallen Angels need a new leader for what may come next. That takes courage many don't have." Xenovia replied.

Ishie didn't say anything, instead looking at Irina.

"Hey, Irina? What you said about Sacred Gear users being killed... did you know my death wasn't on Kokabiel's orders?" She asked.

"Not directly, but me and Xenovia heard a lot of rumors about Kokabiel before we came here, and they made it sound like he only cared about Sacred Gears when it came to fighting someone strong that might have one giving them said strength. More than likely, Raynare stayed undercover by following another cadre's orders." Irina answered.

"With how Kokabiel worded things? That sounds pretty likely..." Ishie sighed, realizing it was likely the truth.

She fell on her back, looking at the sky.

"So, does anyone mind if we take a small break from training?" Ishie asked.

No one said anything, deciding to sit down and gaze at the sky with her.

* * *

Further into the morning, but still before school began for the day, Kiba was seen heading towards Kuoh Town's local hospital.

"Tosca, the wait is over... I'm coming." He said to himself.

He walked inside, heading to the receptionists and telling them about Tosca, eventually having a Doctor lead him to her room. Once he arrived, he finally saw her.

She hadn't aged a day since they last met, with the only change being her outfit was now a hospital gown, and sleeping peacefully in her currently comatose state.

"If you wish to make any form of contact? Only take her hand." The Doctor requested.

"I understand." Kiba replied.

Walking inside, he stood on the side of Tosca's bed, taking her hand in his.

"Hey there Tosca. It's me, Isaiah." He whispered, closing his eyes as he did.

As he did that, a blue light flew out of his chest before going into Tosca's, and once it had... Kiba felt her hand move. Opening his eyes in surprise, he looked as Tosca's eyes briefly shook before opening to look at him.

"Tosca?" Kiba said, feeling his eyes shaking.

"I knew you'd bring me back here. Thank you for finally putting everyone at rest, and... finally ending the nightmare Valper created." She smiled.

Hearing those words, Kiba closed his eyes and began crying as Tosca moved up to hug him, with the Doctor showing some surprise at the sight.

However, that changed to a smile upon seeing Tosca give him a gentle kiss.

'Love is sometimes the only thing needed to create a miracle.' He thought.

While initially surprised, Kiba soon returned the kiss, letting it remind him that despite all Valper took from him... Tosca was the one thing he managed to save.

* * *

Hours passed until class ended for the day, showing Ishie in the halls as she walked with the church trio.

"Despite that whole thing with Azazel showing up, I think Gasper's training is going well." Ishie remarked.

"Aside from my efforts..." Xenovia sighed.

Irina rubbed her back in response. All that Xenovia had done to train Gasper was chase him with her cross in hand, but that eventually made him feel guilty for some reason he wouldn't talk about, making her sit under a tree until school began.

"Relax Xenovia, you're just too used to being an exorcist from the church. It won't take too long to swing into things." Ishie reassured her.

"I agree." Rias replied.

The group of four turned as they saw Rias and Akeno walk into view.

"Hey guys, how are those meetings going?" Ishie greeted.

"Well enough. I'm also assuming the training with Gasper is going well?" Rias replied.

"Yeah, he's been fairly motivated after hearing my story." Ishie confirmed.

Akeno giggled at that.

"He's always been somewhat adorable because he dresses like a girl, but seeing him rise up to become more like a man is really cute." She remarked.

Asia and Xenovia blinked in response, unsure how that was cute from their points of view.

"Anyways, do you know where Gasper is? I wanted to bring him to the hospital to meet Tosca." Rias asked.

"Wait, meet her as in... she's awake?" Ishie asked.

"She is. Kiba says it won't be long until she's released, and I'm currently making official paperwork for her new identity. I figured that since Gasper has a tendency to feel out of place at times, helping Tosca who honestly is might benefit him as well." Rias confirmed.

Ishie's eyes widened before she squealed.

"That's great! As for where Gasper is, I'd check his personal room." She replied.

"Thank you, and I'll go look. Meanwhile, meeting you all here was perfect timing, as Akeno needs all of you for something." Rias smiled.

That caught all of them by surprise.

"Really?" Ishie asked.

"Really. The leader of the Angels would like to meet you, and I offered to make the shrine I live at our meeting grounds." Akeno confirmed.

Hearing that made the church trio gasp.

"Lord Michael... wants to meet all of us?" Irina said, her voice cracking slightly.

"Well, he technically wants to meet with Ishie, but he also wants to see how you three are doing. Excommunicated or not, all of you were originally members of the church." Akeno clarified.

All three of them went speechless, causing a sweat drop to form on Ishie's face.

"So, should we go there now?" Ishie asked.

"I'll need you to go ahead, as I need to take care of something real quick, but yes." Akeno replied, handing her a map.

Ishie looked at it, spotting the shrine in question.

* * *

A while later, Ishie and the nervous church trio were seen walking up the stairs to Akeno's shrine.

"How many... flights of stairs... does one shrine need? We're in... Tokyo, not Kyoto!" Ishie questioned.

"Sorry for the wait!" Akeno apologized.

Everyone stopped for a moment, taking the chance to rest as Akeno (now dressed as a shrine maiden) walked out in front of them, likely having appeared through a magic circle.

"Was changing into that what you needed to take care of?" Xenovia asked.

Ishie briefly snorted at that.

"What?" Xenovia asked, looking confused.

"No, I had to submit my report for my final meeting with Sirzechs, and had to find him before coming here." Akeno answered.

She soon began walking up the stairs, causing everyone else to follow her.

Once they got to the shrine, Ishie felt something off, but it wasn't her usual chill.

"Greetings to you, White Dragon Emperor." A male voice greeted.

Hearing that, Ishie's eyes widen as a bright light filled the skies above the group, revealing a man with light blonde hair with a somewhat feminine length to it and cyan eyes. His attire was a white and light gold robe with golden armor, and he had twelve wings that were gold.

"Lord Michael!" The church trio exclaimed.

'So, this is the current leader of Heaven?' Ishie thought.

Shortly after he landed on the ground, a second guest was shown alongside them, revealing none other than Lint.

"Lint..." Irina breathed.

Seeing Irina and Xenovia, she simply turned her head and _hmphed_ in anger.

"How about we all go inside? After all, it would be rude to let our guest keep standing in place." She suggested, trying to break the ice.

It didn't take long for everyone to go inside the shrine's small house.

After taking a moment to let all of the Second Years calm down, only then did Michael decided to speak.

"My apologies if I've scared you, but do not worry. I am only here to speak with you." Michael reassured them.

"Sorry, we're just kind of nervous... well, at least that's the case for me." Ishie apologized.

"Yes, I guess it would make sense meeting me would make you nervous, seeing as I'm the leader of the Angels who have been in opposition with Devils for longer than I can remember." Michael realized.

Ishie let out a deep breath, feeling a huge weight leave her chest after speaking to the Angel before her.

"If I may, I'd like to ask you a question before you begin." Ishie requested.

"You may. As I was the one who asked you here, it is only fair that I allow you to speak first, if only to help you trust what I'll say." He permitted.

"Thank you." Ishie smiled.

She took a deep breath, and soon formed a serious expression on her face.

"Lord Michael, why did you excommunicate my friends?" She asked, glancing behind her.

This made the three gasp, while Lint raised an eye.

"I know better than anyone how much they love God, and how strong their faith is. They may live among us Devils now, but that hasn't been enough to shake their faith in the slightest. Even though it was an option... they refused to become Devils. So, why did you even bother kicking them out?" Ishie questioned, not showing any fear.

Lint's eyes widened.

'What is she talking about?' Lint questioned.

She put a hand on her head, feeling her mind overwhelmed by confusion, making it clear she had yet to learn the truth.

"Ishie, that might be-" Akeno worriedly said.

"No, it's alright." Michael reassured her.

Akeno was surprised by that, and chose to stay silent as she too listened to his answer.

"The truth is... because for the sake of the Angels' survival, I've had to make difficult choices. During the battle of Kokabiel, he mentioned to you how the number of believers has dropped, correct?" He answered, looking at Ishie.

"Yeah, but I admittedly don't know what that means, if only because Devils and Fallen Angels don't really need any believers." She confirmed.

"Because to us Angels, it is necessary for our survival, giving us nourishment in the same way a Human gets it from food." Michael revealed.

Ishie gasped, while Lint felt her confusion worsen.

"Lord Michael, what are you two talking about?" Lint questioned, feeling a drop of sweat fall from her cheek.

Michael closed his eyes.

"I'm sorry Lint, but the church has been keeping a secret from you, and all of the non-Angels who serve us. The truth of how the Great War ended, because both the Four Satans and God... were killed in battle." He revealed.

She went silent at that, causing the light in her eyes to disappear as she shook her head.

"No, that's..." Lint mumbled to herself.

"Then, what you're saying is-" Ishie realized.

"That's right. After God was destroyed, only his system remained, and the only thing we had to keep the faith was our power to grant divine protection, mercy, and miracles. Even with me, my two brothers, and my sister as the new center of the system? The church is barely functioning right now." Michael confirmed.

"Now it all makes sense. Because of Asia being able to heal Devils with her Twilight Healing, and Xenovia and Irina learning the truth from Kokabiel, you had to kick them out, so anyone that raised an eye at it wouldn't associate them with God, which might risk learning he was dead." Ishie realized.

Lint felt the light in her eyes return, shaking as she looked at Irina and Xenovia.

'Kicked out? Wait, then... they didn't betray us? Then why did...' She questioned.

She let out a gasp upon realizing the contradiction of them saying they became Devils, yet Ishie said they hadn't.

They had lied to her.

"Why..." She asked, looking at them.

Irina and Xenovia soon looked Lint.

"Why didn't you two tell me the truth? That you weren't traitors, and had just been exiled!?" Lint demanded.

"We were protecting you." Irina answered.

Lint showed confusion at that, unsure of what Irina meant.

"If we had told you the truth, it would have required telling you God no longer existed. We couldn't do that to you... so we decided to claim we were Devils to make sure you wouldn't see anything odd about it. Even if you carry the Incinerate Anthem, because it can be safely removed from you? You too could have been exiled." Xenovia revealed.

Lint gasped as she realized everything, and began shedding tears.

"You... stupid, selfless... idiots!" She cried, touched by their sacrifice.

Michael let Lint shed all her tears, especially once Irina and Xenovia joined her, followed by Asia who was happy their friendship was mended. Once they were done, Michael continued by looking at the church trio with a guilty expression.

"I must apologize to all of you. None of you were anything but loyal, and I wish we had been capable of finding a better way, so... all I ask is for forgiveness." He apologized.

"Apology accepted, Lord Michael." Xenovia replied.

"Same here. I grew up having a life beyond the church, so I have few regrets. Especially since it meant my best friend and I were never forced to become enemies." Irina said shortly after.

A guilty look formed on her face.

"My only sadness in all of this... is that such luck may have not been received by the other believers who met this fate." She admitted.

Asia wiped the last few tears from her eyes.

"I'm happy with my current life. I've found friends, and a family to call my own. Even if God is dead... I truly believe his will still gives people salvation." Asia stated, knowing she had found hers.

Michael smiled at those words, feeling a huge weight leave his chest.

"You all have forgiving spirits, and I am grateful for that." He replied.

He soon looked at Ishie.

"The friendships you share with them, and their friendship with Lint, already shows a great opportunity. After all, the time for us to come together... or die trying." Michael stated.

"What do you mean?" Ishie asked.

"As you already know, despite how the death of God and the Four Satans ended large scale fighting, we are still considered to be in a Cold War right now. Because of that, we have the occasional skirmish like what happened with Kokabiel's daughter, and then more noticeable incidents like his direct attack on this town." Michael answered.

Her eyes widened, remembering how on some level, the Great War wasn't truly over.

"Are you saying situations like that happen more often than what I've seen?" She asked.

"They are, and if they're allowed to continue, all will eventually be brought to ruin. Worse, another power could easily choose to attack us in the confusion." He confirmed.

"Or... even during the summit itself!" Ishie realized.

Michael nodded, making her shake at her guess being correct.

"Which is why this upcoming gives us the opportunity to do something none of the Three Great Powers would have ever considered during the Great War." Michael stated.

"Never considered? The only thing I can think of is-" Ishie replied, looking up slightly.

"For the Three Great Powers to form an alliance, and put an end to this senseless fighting." He revealed.

Ishie gasped.

"OK, that was _not_ what I was thinking. Though are you sure that's even possible?" Ishie admitted, looking unsure.

"It wouldn't be the first time. After all, you possess the proof of our last union, regardless of how temporary it was." Michael answered.

Those words made Ishie look at her hand, recalling what Albion told her the other day.

'You and Ddraig caused them to ally with each other in the past, so if I'm with the Devils today...' Ishie realized.

As if knowing what she was thinking, Michael nodded her head.

"It is for that reason that I beseech you, Ishie Hyoudou, to align the goals of the Three Great Powers." He requested.

"Of course. I'd like to reduce the fighting as much as you would, so I'll definitely fight for everyone's sake." Ishie promised.

Michael closed his eyes and smiled in response.

"Thank you, and with that, I've done what I set out to do. Come Lint, we must return now." Michael stated.

"Understood." Lint replied, nodding her head.

She walked to his side as another cross of light formed.

"Hopefully, we make peace and remove the need for us to be enemies." Lint stated, wishing her friends and Ishie luck.

With that, both of them disappeared.

As they did, Ishie looked at her back, realizing how much weight she truly carried on it.

* * *

Tomorrow quickly came, and as everyone was in school, Vali could be seen looking at it while he sat on a magic circle. His expression was that of boredom and impatience, wanting nothing more to fight a certain Bishop.

"I hope nightfall comes soon, so I can brush aside this meeting about the most boring things in the world." He remarked, somewhat annoyed.

"Never took you for such a whiner, especially since you'll be getting your fight soon enough." A familiar voice replied, grinning as it did.

Turning his head, Vali saw his mysterious friend sitting on the rooftops.

"Well, excuse me for struggling to fight my urges." Vali sarcastically replied.

His friend let out a snicker in response, standing on their feet before flinging their wrist, causing a bracelet-like object to fly into his hands.

"This is..." He asked.

"I'll let you decide when the moment is right. Slip that under your sleeve and cross your arms, then simply tighten your grip." His friend stated.

Upon hearing that, Vali let out an excited smirk, just as Ishie walked through the gate.

* * *

As the day reached late afternoon, slowly approaching night fall, a magical barrier that looked like it was made of purple crystals was seen forming above Kuoh Academy. The sight of it caught the attention of everyone in the old school building.

"This is it everyone. It's time for us to head to the top floor for the Summit." Rias announced.

"So, this is it." Ishie nervously replied.

She began fiddling with her necklace, as if wishing it for luck.

"Don't worry Ishie, just remember all of us are here, and that my brother and Lady Serafall will protect you if anything were to go south. Even then, I don't expect that to be a likely scenario at this point." Rias promised.

Ishie nodded, too nervous to say anything else as Rias opened the door, leading her peerage towards the upper levels of the school that were normally locked to all but some faculty members. Once they reached the door, she tapped her knuckle against it.

"May we come in?" She inquired.

The door unlocked, and they went inside, which is when Ishie saw everyone present.

On the side they entered, Sirzechs and Serafall were seated, with Grayfia standing beside her husband, with Sylvie and Ingvild standing behind her Aunt and Serafall. For the Angels, only Michael was seated as Lint stood behind him. For the Fallen Angels, it was only Azazel seated as Vali leaned on the wall behind him, rather than another Fallen.

'I bet he came alone due to what happened. It's probably his way of making him look more trustworthy.' Ishie realized.

Shortly after, Ishie felt Vali looking at her, right as Sona and her peerage filled the remaining spots in the room.

"Good, now we're all here." Sirzechs stated.

He motioned a hand towards his younger sister.

"This is my sister Rias and her retainers, they were the ones who fought against Kokabiel during his surprise attack, while Serafall's sister Sona focused on holding a barrier and evacuating the city should the worst happen." He revealed.

"I thank each of you for all your hard work." Michael praised.

"And my apologies for how Kokabiel caused you all of that trouble." Azazel replied, seemingly less interested.

Ishie glared at him.

"Now that all the representatives are present... let this summit commence!" Sirzechs announced.

Outside, three different sets of soldiers readied themselves, while outside the barrier, Ishie's mother and grandmother looked at it, silently wishing for things to turn out well. Time flew by as Rias and Sona gave their shared report about the incident.

"The rest of the details can be read on the back of my official report, you may now proceed." Rias said, finishing her report.

"That will be all. Thank you very much." Sirzechs replied.

"Great job Sona, I'm so proud of-" Serafall smiled.

Ingvild grabbed her by the cheek, making her left eye water as her words stopped.

"Please stay on topic." She requested.

Sona blushed in embarrassment at her sister's actions, promoting Sirzechs to move along.

"Perhaps the Governor General would like to share his opinion on their report?" He asked.

"Kokabiel went rogue, so my thoughts are irrelevant." Azazel replied.

"So, he acted entirely on his own?" Michael inquired.

"If you mean he never had my permission, then yes. I honestly feel the bastard deserved what the Red Dragon did to him." Azazel confirmed.

Vali smiled at that, making Ishie feel nervous.

'Something about that smile feels wrong...' She realized, focusing on him.

"What I find troubling were his motivations." Michael remarked.

"Yeah, the war ending so suddenly after he killed the Four Satans really stuck in his craw. Too bad for him that despite how you Angels are struggling with numbers, it's my faction that's been suffering the most, which was one of many reasons I pulled my people out before either of you did. Even if we won, what would we gain?" Azazel replied.

Silence briefly followed that.

"The seeds of discontent..." Serafall said, a rare moment of seriousness on her face.

Azazel smirked.

"It exists within all of our ranks. As such, let's just spare the verbosity. We should finally make piece and be done with it." He replied.

That caught everyone off-guard.

"What? That's the purpose of this grand summit, isn't it?" Azazel asked.

"I guess none of us expected you to say that, considering your recent interest in Sacred Gears and their users." Sirzechs confessed.

"No need to worry about that. I can assure you that I'm not gathering any forces for a war, it's just become my latest hobby." He replied.

Vali raised an eye at that comment, shifting his crossed arms slightly.

'Looks like it's time I make the call.' He decided, adjusting his fingers.

Outside of anyone's knowledge, he pressed part of the bracelet, making it disappear as something began to appear outside of the guards' view.

"Although, since we're speaking of Sacred Gears, we have a small complication here. The current Red and White Dragon Emperors." Azazel mentioned.

Ishie began to sweat.

"Despite he's not an ally of ours, the Red Dragon killed one of my own when he shouldn't have been present. As such, I'd like to hear what both hosts want." He requested.

Vali chuckled.

"All I want is to fight someone, and you have to know my fight with the White Dragon is inevitable." He answered.

"True, but you don't need to start a war, or for that battle to be a bloody fight to the death, do you?" Azazel asked.

Hearing that, Vali shrugged.

"I suppose." He answered.

Azazel looked towards Ishie, making her flinch slightly.

"Uh... I need a moment before I answer." Ishie requested.

She took a deep breath.

"For me, uh... I'm not interested in fighting, especially if it's a battle that doesn't need to happen. My best friend was with the church, and I didn't even become a Devil of my own choice. This summit right now is what I think. That we can stop that, and if the need arises, fight as friends and allies, not enemies." She answered, smiling as she did.

No one said anything at first, making her sweat nervously... until Sirzechs gave a quiet laugh in response.

"I had a feeling you might say something like that." He admitted.

"I... honestly have no idea what to say to that." Ishie replied, feeling confused.

Lint suddenly gasped and looked outside, as if sensing something was wrong.

*"CHING!"*

Vali smirked and vanished from the room as a huge blizzard blew through the area, freezing everyone in an instant. Luckily, the Incinerate Anthem was able to burn its purple fire and free everyone inside the meeting room.

Once everyone was out, Ishie could be seen shivering from the bit of cold that was still sticking to her skin.

"W-What was that!?" She asked.

"I have a theory, but I'll need to see this ice first." Azazel replied.

Looking at one of the remaining chunks, he took a close look at it.

"Just as I thought... this ice is from the Absolute Demise." He realized, his expression becoming serious.

"I get the feeling that's a bad thing?" Ishie asked.

"It is. The Absolute Demise is one of the Longinus, with its primary power being to create ice that's able to achieve Absolute Zero, only able to be melted by three kinds of fire, like the Incinerate Anthem." Ingvild confirmed.

Lint sighed in relief, glad her Longinus saved them.

*"BOOM!"*

Outside, everyone saw a magic gate had formed overhead, with hundreds of Magicians appearing as they blasted the frozen guards. Each blast took the life of every guard who was trapped in a frozen state, leaving no body behind.

"Magicians? How rude! I'm a real-life Magic Girl, and they're flat out ignoring me!" Serafall complained.

"Really?" Sylvie sighed.

Ingvild tried to teleport, having great skill in it, feeling some kind of resistance.

"They aren't just taking out our guards either. Something's sealed our ability to teleport." She stated.

"That means someone's connected to the gate within this barrier." Michael realized.

"Worse, our extra troops have also been cut off from us." Grayfia stated, holding a magic sphere made of white lines.

Sirzechs glared at the rogue Magicians.

"Attacking at this time and with all of these counters to corner us? It's just too perfect, which can only mean one thing..." He stated.

"We've been betrayed, haven't we?" Sylvie realized.

Ishie's gasped as she quickly noticed someone missing.

"It must have been Vali! He's gone!" She exclaimed.

Hearing what she said, everyone noticed Vali was no longer in the room, confirming it with all but words.

However, before anyone could say or do anything else? Ishie let out a loud scream, making Rias gasp.

"Ishie!?" She shouted worriedly.

She currently had her eyes closed, currently in a hold from an older woman, just barely able to breathe and not fall unconscious. The one holding her was a tall, bespectacled woman with a voluptuous figure, tan skin, purple eyes, and long brown hair tied into a bun. She wore an extremely low-cut dress with a high slit that exposed a large portion of her cleavage.

"Katerea? What are you doing here!?" Ingvild questioned.

"I'm here to bring destruction, and chaos." She replied.

Raising her staff, a huge explosion destroyed the entire school, forcing the leaders to form a barrier. Despite this, Katerea showed no negative feelings over their survival.

"Good, now there's nowhere for you to hide, and with that issue out of the way..." She smirked.

She tossed Ishie to the ground, making her tumble before looking up, hearing a familiar laugh aimed in her direction.

"How fitting that this is how we have our fated battle?" Vali remarked.

Looking up, Ishie saw the sight of Vali floating above her, currently in his Balance Breaker.

"You... you were planning this all along, weren't you!?" Ishie shouted.

"That's right, I was. Although, it didn't take much to convince the Old Satan Faction and Nilrem's Magicians to help me, since they got to cause trouble while I simply got to fight you and bring an end to our Dragons' eternal conflict." He confirmed.

Azazel chuckled at that, getting Vali's attention.

"Tell me, why do you find this so funny?" Vali inquired.

"Nothing much, it's just that seeing all of this has proved something that Shemhazai, my Vice Governor, had told me about a while back. The existence of a huge terrorist group gathering the dangerous members of not just the Three Great Powers, but each mythology. So, am I wrong, or are all of you part of the Khaos Brigade?" He replied.

Everyone gasped.

"Khaos Brigade... a fitting name, but who would gather such dangerous people together?" Serafall asked.

"The answer to that is simple." Vali smirked.

He didn't say anything for a moment, and then his eyes glowed.

"_I mock the infinite, and fret over the dream._" He answered.

Almost everyone gasped in horror as those words exposed who their leader's identity was.

"Are you kidding me? Your leader is Great Red!?" Azazel exclaimed in disbelief.

"Who?" Ishie asked.

**("He's the Apocalypse Dragon, and like his name implies? He's the Dragon's equivalent to Satan, since he's a Dragon deity.")** Albion revealed.

Ishie's eyes widened, suddenly filled with fear.

"That's right. Not only that, but I just happen to be his second-in-command, and the head of a team that acts as his elite guards." Vali revealed, his aura flowing out.

Sirzechs glared at him.

"Then that must mean you're betraying your own faction, and your own family." He stated.

"Betrayal? Hardly, since my loyalty has only been to my mother, and she herself encouraged me to not let others tell me what to do. After all, my grandfather never cared for her freedom while she lived in Heaven." Vali countered.

Hearing the mention of Heaven, Michael showed surprise and concern.

"She came from Heaven? Just who is your mother?" Michael inquired.

After that questioned was asked, Vali let out a loud laugh, making everyone look at him, with some even feeling a bead/beads of sweat trickle down their faces.

"Since some of you may not survive to hear of this, I guess there's no harm in telling you. My father is Odin, the mighty all father of the Norse Gods, but my mother? She has been hiding under the name of Rindr, after the mother of the deceased son he named me after... but her true name is Sophia. My true name... is Vali Yahweh!" He announced.

Michael and Azazel's eyes widened, while Sirzechs and Serafall let out slight gasps.

The others... had no idea who Vali was talking about, even Lint and the church trio.

"Hold on, I'm confused. I thought the only child of God was Jesus, the Messiah born form the blessed Virgin Mary?" Irina asked.

"That's because Sophia wasn't as well known. Like Jesus, she was Human, but where he had the divine powers of a deity? She simply had incredible knowledge, and only the strength of an Angel, which laid dormant inside of her, making it impossible for her to use it. However, as the Great War began, Sophia suddenly vanished." Michael explained.

"Hold on, are you saying... Vali is God's grandson!?" Xenovia asked, slightly horrified.

Before Michael could answer, Vali laughed and revealed eight Angel wings of a silver color.

"A demigod with the power of an Angel in his blood. Even if he can't wield those powers like his mother, there's no doubt about it... this boy is the greatest Red Dragon that our world will ever see." Azazel stated, feeling himself start to sweat.

'Vali... he's a living miracle.' Ishie thought, feeling like she was standing before the Dragon in some of her daydreams.

"And after seeing my rival? That annoys me so much!" He shouted with fury.

That confused everyone, right as Vali stared at Ishie with a look of annoyance.

"I am a child born of Odin and Sophia, the Human daughter of God, and the current wielder of the Boosted Gear, which gives me the strength of a Dragon that my grandfather feared. However, you? All you are is a lowly human, one that before becoming a Devil, wasn't even an impressive student in high school." Vali stated.

Ishie lowered her head at that.

"You may possess the Divine Dividing, but most who wielded it before you are so much stronger, if not all of them. It's disappointing, so disappointing that it's almost as if the Earth itself is mocking me. How is it that we can be rivals, yet our gap is as big as the Sky to the Earth... no, the Heavens to the Underworld!?" He demanded.

Hearing that, Ishie lowered her head even more.

"Honestly, if you weren't this below me, I'd probably try making you stronger by killing your parents and making you an avenger." Vali remarked.

"What?" Ishie said, feeling her eyes shake.

"Though even that would be pointless. I already see the feeling of loss in your eyes, and somehow... I think it's only made you weaker." He continued.

After hearing that, Ishie's expression became angry, having finally snapped.

"Shut up, you damn bastard!" She screamed, immediately flying towards him.

"Ishie, no!" Rias shouted.

Her friends immediately ran after her, only for a huge explosion to off and blind them with a cloud of smoke, which was followed by the rising of magical walls that separated the leaders from all of the children.

Seeing how everything was coming together, Vali let out a laugh as he charged towards Ishie and swung Ascalon.

*"SHATTER!"*

Ishie's eyes widened as part of her Divine Dividing suddenly broke apart, making her fall to the ground with a loud thud.

"Time for us... to end this." Vali declared.

* * *

**Things just took a turn for the worse, didn't they? Well, to start things off, now you know the truth about Vali's heritage. Most stories keep him as a Lucifer, so I decided to make things different and go the other way while also making him related to Odin. Like Azazel himself guessed, he only has Angel wings, and uses Ascalon as his way of compensating for this.**

**Also, rather than Ophis, the leader of the Khaos Brigade is Great Red, mainly because in canon, one can consider Issei is indirectly fighting for Great Red due to the actions of Cao Cao during V9's events. He also has different motivations than her. Ultimately, it was an interesting twist that I really wanted to try, as the Vali of this story is both the Red Dragon Emperor, and has a stronger desire to fight due to his Asgardian heritage.**

**For those wondering about Sophia? That's a little more complex, but in the case of this story, she's considered the daughter of God, and was graced with the gift of great wisdom at birth, not unlike how Jesus (who is her brother here, but may not be IRL) was born with power, due to being the Messiah. There are reasons she ended up with the Norse Gods, but that's a tale to be told in a later arc.**

**Ishie's finally met with Azazel, and... she doesn't like him. This might seem like a strange result, but my reasoning for this is that Azazel's actions in canon are what allowed Issei to finally trust him. Those being the constant summons, which were for things that didn't cause Issei to reveal any Devil secrets, the act of losing his arm, and because Vali had been his all at the time. Without any of that, Ishie doesn't trust him at all.**

**Now, all that's left to say is next chapter will show all the various battles, and there are many surprises in store. I can guarantee that you'll see battles from everyone aside from the leaders, for reasons you'll understand once you see them. Also, before I forget? Despite what he did in this chapter, Vali will still be a candidate to become Ishie's eventual love interest.**

**Until next time everyone, and stay awesome! ^^**


	14. The Secret Revealed

**The moment has finally come... the time to show all of the battles for the Summit Arc, and as the chapter name shows you? The time to learn the secret tied to Ishie has finally arrived! All I'll say is with how last chapter's cliffhanger went, she needs the power tied to that secret if she wants any chance at beating Vali at her current level of strength, especially since he has a Balance Breaker.**

**All I can say about the battles you'll be seeing, including the one between Ishie and Vali, is that (counting one against Katerea) there are a whopping total of 10 for you see! Although, not all of them will be finished, not unlike how Bikou ended up saving everyone from the wrath of the Juggernaut Drive. Despite that, you'll love what you see from each of them.**

**Just as a friendly reminder, this is NOT the final chapter of the Summit arc. It's just the end of its main conflict. After this, there's going to be an aftermath that focuses on Ishie, Gasper, and Vali, all due to reasons that will be revealed in this chapter. Both it and this chapter will also serve as the marking point where this story will start making heavier divergences from canon, so get read to see the biggest chapter yet!**

**One last thing before we start the chapter? To the one guest reviewer, the reason I use special abilities like that is because canon already uses them in this way. Issei was nearly killed by after the True Longinus struck him with a regular stab, and was temporarily dead after getting hit by Samael's poison. Out of all the DxD characters we've seen, only Trihexa seems to lack any susceptibilities.**

**Now, I've kept all of you waiting long enough, so... let's get this chapter started!**

* * *

**[Chapter 14 - The Secret Revealed]**

Ishie smashed onto the ground, slowly lifting her head as Vali made his declaration, yet not hearing a word he said because of her fall. Looking at her one wing, she saw the damage get repaired by Albion.

"That was dumb, wasn't it?" Ishie realized.

**("Yes, but be lucky he decided to toy with you, rather than end your life.")** Albion replied.

As Ishie got back on her feet, she gasped at what she saw, realizing how bad things had gotten.

The walls of magic that had formed left her and Vali by themselves, leaving the others incapable of helping her. Although, even if the walls weren't present, she saw a couple of silhouettes approaching her friends.

'Just how far ahead did he plan everything!?' Ishie questioned before looking at him.

"I would have preferred for you to have your Balance Breaker, but I guess this will have to do!" Vali remarked, readying Ascalon.

Albion felt nervous as he saw it.

**("Be careful Ishie, even if we try to fight from a distance to cover our current weaknesses, that sword has the power to extend itself. It is truly your biggest threat, especially if he manages to hit the Divine Dividing again.")** He warned.

"Got it." She replied.

She flew into the air, forming a wall of magic circles behind her, which caught Vali and Ddraig's attention.

**("I haven't seen something like this since Elsha was my host!")** Ddraig remarked, slightly impressed.

"Too bad it won't be enough." Vali smirked.

**("BOOST!")**

As his power doubled, Vali spun around and cut through the beams of demonic power that Ishie shot at him, making her eyes widen.

"I'm not done!" Ishie shouted.

**("DIVIDE!")**

He winced as he felt his power get drained, with Ishie gathering some power into her hands before throwing it forward. Once it got close, Vali let out a dark chuckle.

**("BOOST!") ("BOOST!") ("BOOST!")**

The sound of three consecutive boosts made Ishie gasp, right as Vali flexed out his chest.

"Maybe you'll fight better if I warm that lingering frost off you!" He taunted, smirking slightly.

The gem on Vali's chest armor blasted a beam of fire at his rival, prompting Ishie to hold her wings out as she tanked the attack, though was sent flying into the wall by the sheer recoil of the enhanced flames.

She slid onto the ground, taking a moment to catch her breath.

**("Ishie, pace how often you use your Divide, or he'll just keep boosting until his attacks are too powerful for you to defend against.")** Albion warned.

Ishie simply nodded, taking to the sky once again.

* * *

As she coughed from the smoke that blinded the area, Ingvild slowly opened her eyes as a silhouette appeared before her, revealing it was Katerea.

"I've finally got you where I want you." She stated.

"Katerea, stop this! What are you trying to do!?" Ingvild questioned.

Katerea scowled at her younger relative.

"How dare you question me! After all, it was your mother who chose to betray our crusade. Do you know how many members of our Clan died because she chose to abandon us?" She countered.

Ingvild didn't even bother replying to such a petty answer.

"Though since you're so curious? I'm stopping this entire meeting, because with God dead, the descendants of our leaders should lead a revolution in this world, and take this decaying realm and reform for ourselves. Something they themselves would have achieved if Kokabiel hadn't gotten in the way!" Katerea announced.

"Decaying? Reform? Honestly, this is exactly why my mother left the Old Satan Faction! The reason Lady Rizevia convinced her to leave because your actions are only hurting this world!" Ingvild countered.

She moved her hand, causing a stream of water to form around her.

"I assume you have no attention of backing down?" Ingvild questioned.

"Not at all!" Katerea replied.

"Fine, then you leave me no choice. I'll fight you and prove my path is the best one for the Leviathan name to walk!" She declared.

Katerea formed water in response, and both soon shaped their respective pools of it into Dragons that resembled Sea Serpents.

Despite the odds, Ingvild refused to back down.

* * *

Sylvie felt her eyes widen as she stared at the giant figure before her. A figure that wasn't a man, but a giant machine that resembled a Golem, with glowing blue eyes.

"No way... a Gogmagog? I thought all of them were destroyed!" Sylvie shouted.

"I'm gonna smash you!" Gogmagog screeched, his eyes taking an angry shape.

He smashed his arms together, then held them out, causing multiple slots to open up and make Sylvie raise her guard. Following this, they unleashed a storm of missiles.

"Ooh! Sorry, but wrong choice." Sylvie smiled.

She momentarily closed her eyes before they opened, now completely purple and having her pupils replaced by a glowing lavender symbol in the shape of an evil, spiky looking flower.

Shortly after this, she held her hands out before swinging them behind her, causing each of the missiles to be caught in a magical hold before they circled around her.

"What!?" Gogmagog exclaimed, his eyes widening in surprise.

"Since you don't know this, after drinking the elixir made from a King Piece, my special ability evolved into the _Prophet's Eye_, or another way to describe it?" Sylvie replied.

Throwing her hands forward, the missiles shot towards Gogmagog, striking him in their explosions.

"Directional Telekinesis. I'm able to manipulate objects towards or away from me, as long as my eyes see it, and my mental strength is enough to surpass the strength of the person, attack, or object that's within my line of sight." She continued.

Right as she finished saying this, Gogmagog walked through the smoke, parts of him broken off... yet already fusing back on without any damage!

"And you're as durable as the stories say your kind was..." Sylvie realized, sweating somewhat.

She focused her telekinetic pull on him, but Gogmagog was able to resist it and held his arms out. Another pair of slots opened, causing the ends of his pillar-like arms to fire thick lasers towards Sylvie.

Her eyes widened before she back flipped and held out her hands, spinning as she redirected the blasts away from her. Due to its speed and strength, she was forced to turn it away to the ground, causing it to explode.

"Well, no one said this would be easy..." She remarked.

Unfolding her eight wings, she took to the sky and began an aerial sight.

* * *

Akeno noticed she was alone, without any opponent, confusing her.

"This doesn't make any sense. Why would I be left alone when I might be able to break these walls without anything to interrupt-" She questioned.

Right as she said that, she narrowly dodged the charging of a silhouette with a horizontal shape.

Looking where the silhouette landed, she gasped as a dark blue and gray wolf with gold horns on his side entered her point of view. It turned to growl at her, revealing its gold eyes that glowed with ferocity and a golden slash marking on its forehead, which seemed to the be the odd thing out on what she recognized on his familiar form.

"Fenrir!?" She gasped.

"_You shall not interfere with Master Vali!_" He exclaimed.

His words didn't come out as expected, as he only howled, implying his words came from some kind of magic that translated any thoughts he wanted others to hear.

'I don't know how Vali convinced Fenrir of all creatures to ally with him so willingly, but it seems like what he did has weakened him somewhat.' Akeno realized.

Gathering both kinds of her lightning in hand, she blasted Fenrir with the two attacks.

The legendary wolf howled in pain, but his eyes quickly sharpened as he bit into the electricity, destroying it with one chomp. Akeno paled at that.

"And yet, your fangs aren't any less deadly in this smaller size..." She sighed.

Fenrir lunged at Akeno, prompting her to through a talisman and limit his movements, giving her a chance to fly away before he got her.

* * *

Lint quickly noticed Akeno was fighting Fenrir, making her gasp.

"Don't worry! I'm not sure how, but I'll break though these walls and give you a hand!" She promised, forming a sword of purple fire.

"Sorry, but I can't allow that." A female voice stated.

Just as Lint heard that, and attempted to attack the wall... a stalagmite of ice nearly hit her, which forced her to jump back.

"Absolute Demise!?" Lint exclaimed.

The ice broke apart, revealing a young woman standing on a magic circle in its place.

She had blue eyes and long black hair tied in a ponytail with a pair of loops that caused it to, if looking from the back, to resemble a Butterfly with just the bottom half of their wings. Her attire consisted of a white dress that somewhat resembled a negligee.

"My name is Elaine Westcott, and I've been asked by Vali to keep you at bay." She greeted, releasing gold mist from her hand.

"I'm guessing you're the Absolute Demise wielder?" Lint realized, seeing a necklace with a snowflake charm hanging from it.

"That I am. So, let us see if it's my ice or your flames that are stronger." Elaine confirmed.

She held out her hand, unleashing a large blizzard, while Lint retaliated with a maelstrom of purple flames. Both attacks ended in a stalemate, neither able to overpower the other.

* * *

Irina, Xenovia, and Kiba found themselves gathered into a group, all of them looking confused.

"Something doesn't feel right." Kiba stated.

"I agree, there's no reason to have us together and have a better chance of breaking these walls, and I don't know of anything that would hinder us either." Xenovia agreed.

Irina wasn't sure what to say, as her fellow swordsmen had already covered the important details of what was happening.

"Because there isn't a reason born of any benefits or advantages." A male voice confirmed.

Hearing that sound, the trio of swordsmen turned around to see a young man with blonde hair and blue eyes walk into view. He was dressed in a dark business suit, a pair of spectacles, and a long sword sheath on his side.

"I simply felt it wouldn't be a fair battle unless all three of you fought against me together, as otherwise, I would easily defeat any of you." He added.

"You sound pretty confident to say that. Any particular reason you'd make such a claim?" Kiba asked, sweating slightly.

The young man answered not with words, but drawing out his sword, revealing it to be a sword with a long golden-edged blade, a round pommel at the end, and a guard with the a cross-like shape.

"That sword!" Xenovia realized, feeling herself shaking.

"Is that really..." Kiba asked.

"Yes, there's no doubt about it. That's Caliburn!" Irina confirmed.

The man bowed in response.

"My name is Arthur Pendragon, the swordsman of the Vali Team." He greeted.

Xenovia gritted her teeth.

"How dare you use a Holy Sword for an evil purpose!" She screamed.

She rushed ahead, readying to attack with Durandal.

"Xenovia, no! Don't suddenly rush in!" Irina warned, though it was in vain.

As she prepared to slash him, Arthur held out his hand.

**"Excalibur Ruler!"**

That name caught Xenovia off-guard, leaving her open to have Durandal parried by a second blade, which caused the sword to force Xenovia back as if commanded to move away. Once she landed by Kiba and Irina, a look of surprise was stuck on her face.

"Excalibur Ruler, the strongest fragment of Excalibur, which gives its wielder the power to rule and control whatever it touches. It may be temporary against a blade like your Durandal, but it's still effective if it renders you unable to touch me." Arthur stated, holding it out.

Irina tightened her grip on Galatine, sweating slightly.

"Excalibur Ruler was the missing piece to restoring the True Excalibur, but it went missing. Now we know why it disappeared." She realized.

"That's right, I'm the one who stole it. An action I took when my father threatened to kill the love of my life, and then forced me to flee with her and my younger sister, so if you have anyone to blame? Then blame him for placing his selfishness on me, as it's why I stand before you as a foe." He confirmed.

Irina and Xenovia just stared at him, confused why he brought that up.

"As someone who also suffered from another's selfishness, I can understand the anger you feel, but I'm afraid that I can't accept that as reason for your actions. If you stand before us as an enemy, then I have no choice but to fight against you!" Kiba declared, a serious expression on his face.

Arthur readied both his swords.

"Very well, then show me your strength." He stated.

Irina and Xenovia readied their Holy Swords as well.

* * *

Koneko quickly assumed her true form, sensing something approaching her, yet having trouble telling where it was coming from.

'Why am I having so much trouble spotting the source?' She wondered.

"Extend now, my Ruyi Jingu Bang!" A male voice shouted, incredibly loud.

Her eyes widened as she was struck by a staff. Luckily, she managed to grab the staff with her hands and then swing it behind her, causing its owner to be flung around.

Looking at who she through, Koneko saw a man with a body shape resembling a monkey. He had brunette hair in a square cut and, brown eyes, and red, ancient Chinese armor.

"Ooh, strong little girl, aren't you?" He smirked.

Looking at his body, the White Nekoshou gasped.

"You're a Monkey Youkai... wearing ancient Chinese armor, and have a staff with _that_ name. That means... you're this generation's Sun Wukong?" Koneko asked.

"Of course! After all, charm and grace do run in my family." He answered.

Koneko gave him a deadpan look.

"The name's Bikou, and I'm excited to fight a Nekoshou, so-" Bikou announced.

Koneko threw a Kasha at him, causing him to poof, which made her eyes widen.

"Put up your dukes!" He continued.

Turning around, Koneko gasped as she saw multiple copies of him, swinging their Touki enhanced staffs at her.

* * *

Rias held out her hand, emitting her Power of Destruction as she glanced around for her currently unseen opponent.

"Looks like this person's good at hiding." She realized.

"Nope, I was just a little late." A female voice apologized.

The Heiress of Gremory blinked in confusion, right as a magic circle appeared, showing a girl on a broomstick as she flew through it.

When it came to a stop, she was revealed to share Arthur's blonde hair and blue eyes, revealing her as the sister he recently mentioned. Her hair was shoulder length, though looked short due to being curled towards her face like a pair of cinnamon rolls.

Her attire was surprising, as while she had a blue witch's hat and a blue cape with pink flowers on it? The rest of her clothing was that of a schoolgirl's outfit.

"Hey there! There name's Le Fay Pendragon, and it's nice to meet the Heiress of the Gremory Family." Le Fay smiled.

"Eh?" Rias blinked.

Suddenly, Le Fay's face got serious as she closed her eyes.

"It's quite unfortunate we meet like this. However, since Vali has asked us to fight you and your friends..." She said quietly.

Her eyes opened, giving a slight smirk.

'She wants me to drop my guard!' Rias realized.

"I'm afraid you're in trouble!" She announced.

Rias held out her signature power to form a barrier as Le Fay held out her wand, unleashing a powerful spell that her Power of Destruction shield just barely countered.

"Whoa, that's impressive. Looks like it won't be that easy for me to beat you." Le Fay realized.

"And I'm only getting started!" Rias exclaimed, crossing her arms together.

She threw them out, unleashing her Power of Destruction as a spiraling beam, which the Pendragon mage began flying away from.

* * *

Gasper began shaking as he realized he was alone. Especially as he turned around, seeing he had an unexpected guest join him.

However, the identity of this guest was unknown, as they were wearing a black cloak.

"S-Stay back! If you try to hurt me, I-I'll get serious and freeze you!" Gasper warned.

Despite his warning, his opponent rushed ahead, making his eyes changed to a shape resembling a slightly opened camera lens, turning his sclera red and his pupils yellow.

In response, his opponent suddenly turned into a swarm of bats, leading to his Sacred Gear stopping the area said figure had been moments prior. Gasper gasped as this.

"You're also a Vampire!?" He shouted.

One of the bats flew near his ear, making his skin crawl as he expected his blood to be drained.

"Just play along with me Gaspy, I have a plan." A female voice promised.

"Gaspy? How do you know my old nickname?" He questioned, sweating slightly.

"You'll see." She winked.

All of the bats swarmed Gasper, making him scream, though not painfully. Once he realized this, Gasper still did it because he wasn't sure what else to do.

* * *

Grayfia was still holding the sphere from before, now trying to analyze the walls separating everyone alongside the gate being used by the Magicians to invade.

"Any luck in figuring out these traps?" Sirzechs asked.

"Not yet. I need more time, and trying to focus is already hard enough with all this noise." She replied.

Some magic blasts hit their shield in response, proving her point as they briefly interrupted her efforts.

"Well, looks like it's about to get worse." Azazel remarked.

Magic circles unrelated to the Magicians formed, showing crests that resembled two crossed axes, appeared in the air. From them, dozens of Devils with skull masks dropped into view.

"Are those soldiers of the Old Satan Faction?" Michael asked.

"Yes, they must have been waiting for the wall to formed." Serafall confirmed.

They all readied their axes.

"To the despicable usurpers in the false royal houses of Gremory and Sitri, we're here to take back what's ours!" One of the soldiers announced.

Serafall looked at Sona and her peerage.

"Unlike the Magicians, they might know how to break this barrier. You need to buy Grayfia more time!" She shouted.

"Did your sister just get serious!?" Saji asked in surprise.

"Even though the current Satans are quirky? When they need to actually do their jobs, they know to focus on it." Tsubaki explained.

Sona nodded her head.

"Tsubaki, give us an opening." Sona ordered.

"Got it." Tsubaki nodded.

Jumping out of the barrier, the Magicians aimed towards her, right as she put her hands out.

**"Mirror Alice!"**

A magical mirror formed, taking all the attacks before shattering and being reflected back at their casters, only with twice the power. All of them fell to the ground.

"Saji!" Sona shouted.

"Got it!" He replied.

**"Line Up!"**

The Absorption Line formed, releasing as many tongues as there were attacked Magicians. Its eyes glowed, causing the Magicians to have their energy siphoned, though Saji was quick to gather too much power.

"Alright everyone, use this power well!" He announced, slightly strained.

A tongue attached to each of his fellow Council members, sending them a fraction of the siphoned energy.

"Nice work Saji." Tomoe praised.

"Now, let's take them down!" Ruruko announced.

She disappeared at quick speeds, catching the OSF Devils off-guard before she began kicking them so fast, it seemed like she was attacking multiple Devils at a time.

**"Twinkle Aegis!"**

**"Catatonic Chain!"**

Tomoe swung her sword, which split apart like a whip made from metal chains, while Tsubasa tossed a shield like a yo-yo. Magicians and Devils alike were cut down as if they were fresh produce, while others were either zapped or burned from the fire and lightning imbued in the shield.

"Fire!" The leading Devil ordered.

Their axes blasted demonic power towards Sona's peerage, which caused Momo to move in front of her friends, holding out her wrists as her bracelets glowed.

**"Applause Wall!"**

She formed a wall-like barrier, shielding everyone.

**"Scouting Persona!"**

A bunch of smiling opera masks appeared around the Magicians, releasing scary laughs as they neared them.

"What is this? Preschool!?" One Devil questioned.

"I think you'll like this magic trick." Reya smiled.

Suddenly, the masks glowed, releasing a light that was somewhat hypnotic, causing the Magicians' vision to blur. As they tried to shake their confusion, they began firing their beams at random.

Many of them screamed as they ended up attacking each other, with the OSF Devils barely dodging them.

"Alright Tsubaki, this is our chance." Sona stated.

"As you wish." Tsubaki replied, materializing a naginata.

Sona held her hand out, forming some water in the same manner as Ingvild and Katerea, though at a lesser amount. Throwing her hands out, the water transformed into a group of watery hawks and a watery serpent.

The Devils were pushed back, while Tsubaki flew up and slashed them with her naginata, causing blood to fly from their injuries and their fall towards the ground.

"Yeah, that's our Council President and VP!" Saji cheered.

Saji soon heard an explosion, seeing the flames that struck Ishie to the ground.

* * *

Ingvild was pushed back as her and Katerea's watery Dragons clashed against one another, with Katerea laughing as she made hers rush ahead, slithering past hers as she prepared to bite down with its icy teeth.

"This is the end, and the end of the Leviathan Clan's weak link!" Katerea declared.

"Wrong, it's not the end. Not today." Ingvild replied.

She took a deep breath, and began singing a song.

Hearing that song, the watery Dragon suddenly stopped, surprising Katerea as it refused to attack Ingvild.

"What the hell are you doing? Attack her!" She ordered.

Unfortunately, her words fell on deaf ears, giving Ingvild's Water Dragon the chance to attack it. Katerea's Dragon felt its neck being bitten, prompting it to bite the neck of Ingvild's Dragon in the same manner.

Both of them put more force into their bites, causing both to burst apart at the same time.

"How did you stop my Dragon!?" Katerea demanded.

"My father is a Devil of the Paimon Clan, so I inherited the power of their voice. Combine that with how Dragons are influenced by music, and once I began singing, there was nothing your Dragon could do." Ingvild revealed.

Katerea growled, throwing out her hands, which stretched out and multiplied into more arms and hands.

"I will destroy you, no matter what it costs me!" She roared, her voice slightly distorting itself as she did.

Ingvild closed her eyes, then raised her left hand.

"Sorry, but you're already dead." Ingvild replied.

Before Katerea's hands could grab the young Leviathan Heiress, a second water Dragon formed in their path, but this one was bigger and had more fish-like features on it. This Dragon was also more powerful as well.

Katerea gasped as she was bounced away from Ingvild, leaving her wide open as the Dragon charged a blue-black beam in its mouth.

*"BOOM!"*

The sound of an explosion was heard as the energy blasted out as a beam, enveloping Katerea as he let out her last scream. When the beam finished firing, Ingvild smiled as she saw nothing remained of the Leviathan warmonger.

* * *

Sylvie used her powers to skate across the ground, dodging a barrage of Gatling Gun shots from Gogmagog's arms.

"Time for my full firepower!" Gogmagog exclaimed.

'He can't unleash that much, can he?' Sylvie thought.

Everywhere on Gogmagog's body partially opened up, revealing hundreds of weapons, causing Sylvie's eyes to widen.

"Seriously? Even thoughts can be jinxed!?" She screamed.

As the machine aimed at her, Sylvie suddenly get an idea, and rushed ahead. All of weapons fired, creating an explosion that resulted in a thick smoke cloud that covered the entire area.

Gogmagog roared in victory... right as Sylvie rocketed through it, causing his eyes to flash as a replication of his eyes widening. She placed a sphere of demonic power in the air, then slid underneath his legs and got behind him.

**"Kinetic Paradox!"**

Sylvie and the dark sphere began pushing against Gogmagog's body, then did the reverse and pulled against it. The Golem's body began to smoke as it overwhelmed him.

"Error! Error!" He screamed, feeling his eyes flicker.

He soon fell on his knees as his systems overloaded.

"You might be able to repair yourself, but not even the most advance machine can operate if you stress its limits." Sylvie stated.

Once she said that, Gogmagog onto his face and stomach, making a loud thud.

* * *

As Sona's group continued fighting against the seemingly endless reserves of Magicians, dealing with the more resilient and limited army of OSF Devils, Grayfia was still trying to find something within the walls and gate to stop their growing threat.

However, around that moment, a magic circle appeared before the group, showing one of the bats representing the female Vampire pretending to fight Gasper.

"Gasper, is that you?" Grayfia asked.

"Nope, but I'm still an ally. More specifically, I'm a mole for you, in the unknown ally sense that is." She replied.

She soon moved the magic circle near Grayfia's ear.

"There's an easy way to take out that magic gate and those barrier walls, you just need to..." She continued.

The rest was unheard to all but Grayfia, leaving her eyes to briefly widen at the revelation. Nodding her head, she looked towards Sirzechs, getting her husband's attention.

"Sirzechs, can we open part of the barrier for a few seconds?" Grayfia inquired.

"I can, though not for very long. Do you think 5 seconds is enough?" He answered.

"More than enough." She confirmed.

Readying a complex sphere of demonic power in her hands, she aimed it as Sirzechs, Serafall, Michael, and Azazel made a small opening in the direction of the magic gate. Grayfia used that moment and fired it, which smashed into the magic gate as a Magician tried to go through it.

As that one Magician screamed, the others all looked at their damaged gate in horror, right before it shattered and caused all of them to disappear. The OSF Devils gasped at the result, right as the members of Vali Team (sans Vali himself) saw the walls dividing them shatter like broken glass.

"Impossible!" Arthur exclaimed.

Seeing her chance, Xenovia rushed ahead, and swung Durandal at Excalibur Ruler.

Realizing he lost the sword, Arthur tried to reach for it, right as Kiba chose to react.

"Go!" He shouted.

He summoned the Glory Drag Troopers, with most holding him down for just long enough that the last one swung it towards the sword trio. Irina was the one who caught it, smiling as she held it up.

"We've got it!" She exclaimed.

Seeing this, Arthur glanced at Elaine, who nodded her head.

"Sorry, but it seems this battle is a draw." Elaine apologized.

"You aren't escaping!" Lint shouted.

Lint unleashed a wave of purple flames, right as Elaine formed walls of ice around the group. When they melted, all of them had disappeared, causing Lint to let out a sight of disappointment.

"Dang it, they all escaped..." She stated.

A loud explosion soon reached her ears.

She and everyone turned around, seeing Ishie and Vali blasting their demonic power and flames against each other in a reverse tug of war.

"That's right, Ishie still needs our help!" Rias shouted.

The female Vampire saw her rush towards the two, making her eyes widen.

"No, don't get near them!" She warned.

Rias looked at her in confusion, right before the area within a radius she was just barely in front of suddenly cracked and burned apart. Looking back to see it, she gasped at how close she was to likely being burnt alive.

"He wants to win this fight so badly that he's forcing his aura to go past its limits, which is burning the area around him! Ishie's the only one who can be inside without dying!" The Vampiress warned.

"Then... Ishie has to somehow beat Vali on her own?" Irina asked, a terrified look on her face.

Vali laughed as he thrust Ascalon forward, which extended to a point that she could barely dodge it.

However, that left her open to being punched in the stomach.

"See? This is what I'm talking about? You're too weak!" He announced, laughing as he did.

Unfortunately, that one moment of distraction let Ishie swing her hand forward, smashing her fist into his face. An explosion of demonic power struck him, making him cough out blood before he crashed onto the ground.

**("DIVIDE!")**

His power was siphoned as Ishie took a few deep breaths, using the moment to rest.

At the same time as this, Sirzechs blasted the remaining OSF Devils in one swoop.

"And that's game over for them!" Saji declared.

Sirzechs soon turned his attention to the battle between Ishie and Vali, noticing that Ishie was barely holding up.

'She doesn't have a chance like this. If she wants to win, then my theory about her needs to be right.' He thought.

Ishie's necklace briefly gleamed in the light.

"Is that all you've got?" Vali mocked, getting back up without a problem.

"No way, he doesn't look weakened at all!" She whispered to herself.

He threw his hand out, creating another wave of fire, though as it approached, Ishie was ready for it.

**("RELEASE!")**

She used her speed to fly away, barely dodging the attack. However, he quickly readied another one, making Ishie sweat.

"Albion, do you think it's safe for me to try that new technique?" She asked.

**("Probably not, but with the way this fight is going? I'll have to let you take that risk.")** Albion answered, reluctance in his voice.

Ishie took a deep breath.

"OK, here goes!" She announced, closing her eyes.

Her wings stretched out, growing three times bigger.

**"Half Dimension!"**

Blue waves of energy expelled from her wings, causing the surrounding environment to shrink, or at least have the perception of it shrink, to half its original size.

"What is this?" Sylvie asked.

"It looks like Ishie's warping the dimensions, but it's an incredibly dangerous action!" Michael answered.

"Ishie, don't do it!" Rias begged.

Her words came too late, with Ishie screaming as the stress started to overwhelm her. The sounds of her screams were enough to make Asia and Irina cry. However, Ishie refused to the intense pain defeat her.

"Really? This is your plan!? It's plan idiocy!" Vali mocked.

**("Yeah, doing this is basically suicide!")** Ddraig agreed.

**("Are you sure?")** Albion countered.

Ddraig and Vali raised an eye at the White Dragon's words, since it didn't seem like something Albion would say.

**("Since I've been Ishie's partner, I've learned something. Even when something seems impossible, if you have the will to go the distance and never give up, then anyone can make it possible. She may not be strong, but my partner is willing to take that step!")** He exclaimed.

Ishie's necklace briefly glowed, though too dimly for anyone to notice.

"That's right! I... can... do this!" She screamed, causing her eyes to glow.

Suddenly, the entire area gained a blue tint. Vali and Ddraig soon stumbled a bit, feeling a wave of weakness hit them.

**("BURST!")**

**("What!?)** Ddraig exclaimed in disbelief.

Ishie smiled, realizing she succeeded.

"Burst? I thought the Boosted Gear was supposed to say Boost?" Saji asked.

"Burst is a different command. It only happens when a host for either of their Longinus goes past their limit, and therefore become incapable of using their Boost or Divide ability." Grayfia explained.

"Wait, so that means... the reason Ishie used this technique was-" He realized.

"She realized it would push the Boosted Gear past its halved limit!" Rias smiled.

Hearing that, Vali's eyes widened.

"Looks like being such a power freak has worked against your favor." Ishie smirked.

Vali said nothing, then laughed in response, scaring Ishie.

"True, I can't use anymore Boosts for now, but that doesn't erase the ones I already have. Now, let's see how you like my flames with a strong charge to them!" He replied.

**("TRANSFER!")**

Generating a flame on his arm, green energy flowed into it, making the tiny fire blaze across his arm.

**("Be careful, I don't know how many Boosts he chose to put into that flame.")** Albion warned.

Ishie didn't reply, right as Vali threw his arm forward.

She did have any time to react. The flames smashed into her, making her scream as everyone watched in horror. She was knocked to the ground, though felt something was off.

"Now, it's time to end this!" Vali declared.

**("BLADE!")**

**("TRANSFER!")**

Pouring all of his remaining Boosts into Ascalon, he extended its blade towards her defenseless form, making her eyes widen as the Holy Sword stabbed right through her stomach. Everyone went silent as Vali smirked at his victory, and waited for her to be purged.

However, after a few seconds... there was no purging to be seen, which surprised everyone as Ishie suddenly grabbed the blade with her left hand.

"W-What? How are you still alive!?" Vali questioned.

"I don't believe it... how is she doing that?" Rias asked.

Asia was about to ask the same thing, only to remember when Ishie and Raynare fought, making her gasp.

"This has happened before." She mentioned.

"What are you saying? She's never been stabbed by a Holy Sword." Rias questioned.

"No, I don't mean that! I mean surviving what should have purged her!" Asia clarified.

Her reply quickly caught everyone's attention.

"When she was saving me from Raynare, there was a moment where Ishie got struck by enough light spears to resemble Swiss Cheese, yet she didn't die." Asia revealed.

Everyone's eyes widened, while Sirzechs looked interested.

"There's no way Ishie could have lived through that... what's going on?" Rias questioned.

As that was happening, Ishie continued attempting to pull out Ascalon from her stomach.

Her attempts to do this caused a memory to resurface.

* * *

_A 5-year old Ishie walked into a hospital room, getting the attention of her older brother, who smiled as once he saw her._

_"Hi Yuuki!" Ishie shouted, running towards him._

_"Ishie, don't yell or run in a hospital. That will disrupt the people working here." Yuuki reminded her._

_She blushed in response._

_"Sorry." Ishie apologized._

_Once she was close enough to her brother's bed, she saw him drawing some kind of book._

_"Hey, what's this?" Ishie asked._

_"It's a story book I'm making for you. Because of how boring things can get while I'm in here, this is my way of passing the time, while also making you a little present." He revealed._

_Yuuki gave her the book, and she read what he had made so far. Her eyes quickly sparkled._

_"Wow, I love this story already! What happens next?" Ishie asked, giving him puppy eyes._

_"I haven't decided yet." Yuuki admitted._

_"Aw..." Ishie replied, giving a sad pout._

_He rubbed her head, quickly making her frown turn upside down._

* * *

_Nearly a year later, Ishie stood before Aiko, looking a little nervous._

_"Nervous about starting school?" Aiko asked._

_"Yeah... I don't know what to do." Ishie confirmed._

_Hearing that, Aiko smiled before reaching under her covers, pulling out something that caused Aiko to look at her hand._

_"Then why don't you let this give your day a good start?" She suggested._

_Aiko turned it upwards, causing Ishie to realize it was Yuuki's story book._

_"Is... is that-" Ishie asked._

_"Yuuki asked me to finish this book in case he wasn't able to, and I was finally able to fulfill that promise today. I want you to read it and have a great first school day." Aiko confirmed, explaining how it was finished._

_Hearing that, Ishie began to cry, then hugged Aiko tightly. Her big sister blinked in surprise._

_"Yuuki... Yuuki!" She sniffled._

_Those words caused Aiko to tear up, and lose the courage to tell Ishie the truth._

_That she wasn't going to live much longer._

* * *

Ishie managed to start pushing Ascalon's blade out of her stomach, growling as Vali tried to push it back in... only for him to be overpowered!

'How is she doing this!?' Vali questioned, his eyes shaking in disbelief.

"Yuuki... Aiko... please, lend me your strength." Ishie quietly begged.

Small cracks formed on her necklace, and Ishie managed to push even more of Ascalon's blade away, making Vali start to sweat under his helmet.

"Lend me the strength... to fight!" She screamed.

At that moment, a symbol glowed on the necklace's gem, and then it shattered!

Vali soon felt himself slammed into the ground as Ishie's aura suddenly exploded.

"Huh? What... is this?" Ishie asked herself.

Before she could make sense of things, the feeling of something flying on her back made her stumble, and everyone aside from Sirzechs let out a gasp. Hearing them gasp as they did, Ishie looked behind her... and her jaw dropped right open.

It was her Devil wings, but rather than just the expected two? She had a total of eight wings on her back!

**("No way! This is...")** Albion gasped.

"Albion? What's going on?" Ishie asked.

The shock of what was happening left the White Dragon speechless, which left Ishie both surprised and confused.

"Ddraig, that aura... do you recognize it?" Vali questioned.

**("I do, but... how is this possible? How can she have the aura of a Satan!?")** Ddraig replied, feeling his mind being overwhelmed.

Ishie's eyes widened as she heard that.

"Did you just say... a Satan?" She asked, her eyes now shaking.

Vali couldn't believe what was happening right now.

He had said the gap between them was as big as the Heavens to the Underworld, yet now? Those words had become literal. If he was God's grandson, that meant Ishie was...

"How disappointing. With a revelation like this, it seems that all of this was premature." A familiar voice sighed.

Everyone looked at the sky as they saw a boy with long, messy red hair and vivid gold eyes descend into view.

"What!? Great Red, why did you come here?" Vali demanded.

Realizing this was the Apocalypse Dragon, everyone gasped.

"There's no point in finishing this battle today. You can't end your war with her if I beat her, and now that we know what she is, we'll need to make new preparations." Great Red answered.

Vali let out a low growl before lowering his head, accepting the end result.

"Listen well, Ishie! Get stronger! Because next time we battle, our fight will have its ending!" He promised.

A magic circle formed underneath the two, and they disappeared in an instant, while Ishie was still in shock.

However, that didn't last long as her blood loss made her faint.

* * *

Everyone from the Vali Team was gathered as Le Fay and Elaine used their magic to heal the few wounds everyone received, while Bikou and Arthur helped Gogmagog get his senses back to normal.

It wasn't long before Great Red and Vali appeared from the former's magic circle.

"So, have you finally calmed down?" Great Red asked.

"Yeah. Now that I've had time to think about it, I understand how much I was letting my anger take over." Vali confirmed.

Great Red smirked at that.

"Lord Vali, how did the battle go?" Arthur inquired.

"I was definitely the one winning, but..." He answered.

He sighed.

"As it turns out? Ishie Hyoudou wasn't just an ordinary Human girl, but a Human/Devil hybrid." Great Red revealed.

This surprised his teammates.

"Wait, so the current White Dragon Emperor isn't just your rival on your Dragon's side, but your Angel side?" Bikou asked.

"She is. It was for that very reason that Great Red made me leave, saying our battle was too premature." Vali confirmed.

Great Red put two fingers to his mouth and let out a whistle.

Moments after he did this, Great Red saw hundreds of magic circles materialize across the ground, which quickly summoned the entire Khaos Brigade's army. Looking at the various OSF and other traitors from the Three Great Powers, the Magicians of Nilrem, various Sacred Gear wielders, and others? The Apocalypse Dragon held his hand out.

"Khaos Brigade, listen well! Our initial attack did not result in success, and the Three Great Powers have likely cemented their alliance as a result, but _do not_ let that stop you. We will succeed in taking out the White Dragon and then accomplishing my goal, for the sake of our goals. Now, with our debut finished, who's ready to fight?" He announced.

He heard everyone fight, causing him to smirk.

"Good, that's what I wanted to hear." Great Red whispered to himself.

As that was happening, Vali noticed one of his teammates was missing.

"Hey, where's the new girl at?" He asked.

The members of the Vali Team flinched in response.

* * *

Ishie slowly groaned as she felt herself regaining consciousness.

'This seems familiar.' She thought.

**("That was sarcasm, right?")** Albion asked.

She didn't reply, and finally opened her eyes to see Asia healing her wounds, smiling as she got up.

"She's awake!" Asia shouted.

Everyone gathered around her, with Ishie rubbing her head as her wings spread.

As they did, she finally remembered them, and tried to fold them in... but failed.

"How do I put these away?" She asked.

It took a few moments before her eyes widened, recalling how strange it was that she had four pairs of wings instead of just one.

"Wait, why do I have eight wings!? Someone, please explain this to me!" She begged, starting to panic.

"Please, calm down Ishie. We'll try to explain things later. Just take deep breathes." Asia promised.

Ishie wasn't sure if she could calm down. Luckily, she ended up forgetting about her panic when she saw the surviving soldiers for all three races were using their magic to repair the damage caused by the Khaos Brigade's attack.

"This is..." She breathed.

"That's right, a joint effort between all of us." Rias confirmed, smiling at her.

"Due to the Khaos Brigade, we've finally achieved peace." Akeno revealed.

Sylvie sighed.

"Only problem is now we have to go tell Odin that his son has basically declared war on every mythology. That's gonna be a huge headache for us." She remarked.

"On the bright side? Allying with them is now easier?" Ingvild mentioned, looking for a bright side.

Sylvie gave her a deadpan stare in response, making Ingvild feel uncomfortable. At the same time, Michael walked to the church trio.

"Ladies, may I ask all of you something?" He requested.

"Y-Yes! Of course, Lord Michael!" They replied in unison.

"Even though you know God isn't here anymore, will you still pray to him as if he was?" Michael asked.

That made their eyes widen, with Lint shedding happy tears at his words.

"I will! Even if only his will remains to guide this world, I will never give up on his teachings!" Irina answered.

"Same here. Praying gives me comfort, and I want to honor his memory." Asia replied, praying as she did.

"As will I. Not just to thank god, but you, who carries his legacy." Xenovia smiled.

Lint wiped her tears away.

"Looks like you three are no longer heretics. Although, I think they should stay here, and help to restore this church." She suggested.

Michael looked surprise at her suggestion.

"She's right. Now that we're allies, we don't have to keep the fact that Cleria and Masaomi are alive a secret anymore. That means the reason you closed down that church is no longer an issue for either the Angels or Devils." Serafall agreed.

Hearing that, Michael smiled, nodding his head before looking at Lint.

"Asia Argento, Irina Shidou, and Xenovia Quarta? I hereby order that your first task as reinstated allies of Haven will be to rebuild Kuoh Town's church. Let it be one a symbol of our alliance." He declared.

"As you wish, Lord Michael." They all replied, bowing to him.

Moments after that, Gasper felt himself knocked to the ground as the Vampire girl glomped him, nuzzling her cheek against his.

"It's been so long Gaspy, I'm so happy to see you again!" She exclaimed.

"Seriously, who are you? How do you know my old nickname?" Gasper asked.

The girl laughed in response, confusing him as the rest of the Gremory Team watched. Once she finished, she grabbed the side of her cloak.

"Guess my voice really did change." She remarked, pulling it off.

Gasper's eyes widened as the person under the cloak revealed themselves. She was a girl around Gasper's age, with a figure not unlike Koneko's in her form, having sleek long hair was as pretty and neat as a work of art, and deep red eyes that were able to illuminate an abyss.

"M-Millarca?" He quietly said, tears filling his eyes.

"That's right Gaspy, it's me." She nodded, tears filling her eyes.

She hugged him close.

"I promised that one day I'd find a way to leave home and find you. I heard how you joined Rias, and I was so happy, but then Vali came looking for allies to join the Khaos Brigade. Realizing he might target you, I joined him to keep that from happening. Thanks to that, I kept my promise to you, and myself." Millarca smiled.

"Millarca..." He sniffled.

Gasper soon went into a full-blown cry, causing his friends to tear up.

"I'm guessing you didn't know about this girl?" Ishie assumed.

"Not at all, but I'm happy that they've reunited with each other." Rias confirmed, wiping her tears.

As this was happening, Sirzechs looked at Ishie, then as his wife.

"Grayfia, are you ready for a reunion with your old master?" He inquired.

"I guess we'll have to see." She replied.

Ishie suddenly sneezed, confusing her by how sudden it was. Though that was anything but the last of her remaining surprises for the night.

* * *

Walking into her house, Ishie sighed as she looked at the part of her necklace where the gem used to be.

"What am I supposed to tell her?" She wondered sadly.

"Tell me what exactly?" Alicia asked, sitting on the couch.

Ishie flinched at the sound of her mother's voice. Her head turned to look at the couch, seeing her stand up.

"So, what's the story behind you were out so late?" She inquired.

Ishie wasn't sure what to say, but as she tried to think of something, her mother let out a quiet gasp as she noticed the gem on her necklace was missing.

"Your necklace..." Alicia breathed.

"Huh? Oh, uh... I'm sorry, while I was out, it-" Ishie apologized.

"Then that means... the day has finally come." Alicia realized.

Ishie paused at that.

"What? Mom, what are you talking about?" She questioned, feeling confused.

"Looks like my theory was right." Sirzechs realized.

Alicia's face gained a deadpan look as she growled, turning around to see Sirzechs and Grayfia appearing through a magic circle. However, neither of them, or Ishie and her mother for that matter, were aware of Rias looking through a window from outside.

"Really? You couldn't use the front door? It seems 500 years hasn't done anything to improve your manners." She remarked.

Ishie felt her eyes widen as she mentioned 500 years, and showed familiarity rather than surprise to what just happened.

"M-Mom?" She said, really nervous now.

"Well, guess I better rip off the bandage before this gets any worse." Alicia decided.

She looked at her daughter, taking a deep breath to lessen some of her nerves.

"Ishie, it's time for you to know... that you're not really Human, or more specifically? Not purely Human." She revealed.

Ishie's eyes widened.

"What!?" She breathed.

"Gorou is a regular Human, but the truth is that I'm a Devil, as is your grandmother. However, you're not descended from any ordinary Devils." Alicia explained.

Raising her left hand, she lightly flicked her nearest cheek, making her body glow. Ishie gasped as she saw small parts of her body begin to change.

Once it was over, her mom's hair had gotten a bit messier with more curls, her arms and legs had slimmed a little as if she had lost the weight gained from becoming a mom, and she looked much younger.

As her disguise fully vanished, her eyes were shown to be closed, and Grayfia felt a bead of sweat go down her cheek.

"For almost 20 years, I've been living among Humanity under the name of Alicia Hyoudou, but my real name..." She began.

Taking a deep breath, she opened her eyes.

"My real name... is Rizevia Lucifer." She revealed.

And with those words, Ishie's eyes widened as everything about her world changed, all because she was now aware of one powerful fact.

Lucifer, the original Devil... was also her grandfather!

* * *

**Did anyone lose some dynamite, because I think some minds were blown! *giggles* Anyways, the big secret about Ishie has been revealed, and it's that she was Lucifer's granddaughter all along! Not only that, but the mysterious Rizevia Lucifer is none other than her mom! Remember all those times I said Ishie's power was natural? Well, this is why, because that necklace was a seal on her Lucifer blood.**

**The foreshadowing to this was spread through various bits in each chapter, though the best cases of this were actually in Chapter 1. Her first daydream was a hint to her future as the Underworld's Hero, having Albion, and the reveal she's actually Devil royalty. The other hint was how the magic circle for her first summon exploded, which was a worry Ravel had about Ingvild teleporting to her initial client in canon, so only LN readers would have been able to notice it.**

**Now that Ishie's secret has been revealed, I can tell more about why I said Vali is still a candidate for her love interest. The reason for that is she won't pick anyone until she and Vali have their Dragons' final battle. Right now, the issue is that Vali doesn't see any chances for love because of something he's doing that's making it impossible on his end alone, and without any outside interference.**

**We also have a surprise appearance with Millarca, who's replaced Valerie as the childhood friend of Gasper. I decided this because she's barely appeared in any stories I've read, and she's the nicest pureblood Vampire so far, so I figured it would be an interesting twist to use her. Having her be a mole in the Vali Team was an especially fun twist to make destroying the Magicians' gate tougher. She won't be joining Rias or Sona, but she's now part of the heroes' team.**

**Until next time everyone, and stay awesome! ^^**


	15. A New Era, Part 1

**It's been a long road, but here's the last chapter of the Summit arc! Last chapter truly ended on a shocker, considering the nature of Ishie's secret, and how her mom and grandma were connected to it. How she'll react to her mother's reveal, along with some other major scenes related to it, are this chapter will mostly cover. There are a few other things we'll see, but those you'll have to read the chapter to find out.**

**Before I say anymore, to answer a guest review from Michael? I'm afraid you're mistaken, as I didn't include any characters that are from Date A Live in the story, nor will any characters from outside of DxD (not counting OCs) be appearing. Elaine is a canon character, being the maid seen with Le Fay on the one DX V5 illustration, and the reason she shares the last name DAL's main villain they share an ancestor in William Wynn Westcott.**

**One other thing I need to mention before we begin is while writing this chapter, the scenes tied to Ishie and Rizevia ended up being longer than I expected. As a result, the chapter has been split in two, and the one scene tied to Gasper and Vali (minus one that focuses on the Vali team as a whole) have been moved into it to avoid confusion from the pacing.**

**Now, getting back on track? To those curious about where Rizevia and Ishie's power levels stand? As you may remember from Chapter 5, it was mentioned by Rias that her brother actually lost when they fought, though balancing this out is Rizevia refuses to fight unless necessary, simply due to what winning that battle showed her. For Ishie, she's currently as strong as Ingvild when she debuted in canon, due to her heritage being unsealed.**

**To explain Ishie's better, it's because her demonic power is now at a level that's basically reset the training she had for it, since now her full output doesn't match what she could originally use. At best she understands how her Longinus works, but due to lacking her Balance Breaker, she's barely even scratched the surface of its abilities. While she's not invincible, Ishie will struggle less in the battles where Issei did.**

**Now, without further ado? Let the chapter begin!**

* * *

**[Chapter 15 - A New Era, Part 1]**

Ishie was still unable to belief what she had just learned about her entire life and family tree.

All her life, she grew up believing she was Human, but now? Her mother had revealed that wasn't the case. She was half-Devil, and not only that, but she was none other than the granddaughter of Lucifer, the leader among the tyrants who gave birth to the Devil over... well, she actually didn't know how long, just that it was over 700 years.

However, the biggest shock of all was that her mother was actually the former leader of what the current Devil government knew as terrorists over 500 years, and implied to be the most powerful Devil who ever lived.

"This whole time, you've been a... you're actually..." Ishie breathed, feeling her eyes shake as the light in them went blank.

Rizevia said nothing in response. It didn't take long before she felt Ishie run up to her and begin to hit her fists against her.

"What the hell mom!? Why would you keep something like this from me for my entire life!? I bet you never even let Yuuki and Aiko know about this! No, more than that, does dad even know what you really are? Answer me!" She screamed, angry and upset.

Rizevia simply stared at her daughter, letting her get out all the frustrations she just formed because of learning what she really was so suddenly.

"Why... why didn't you tell me? Why lie all these years?" Ishie questioned.

"First thing to clear up? Your father knows what I really am, a little longer than we've been married, as did your brother and sister before they... I only hid the truth from you because I didn't want to risk you ending up like I did." Rizevia answered, explaining everything.

Her daughter looked up at her in confusion.

"I was born into this world around the time the Great War began. I knew my father wasn't the greatest man, but because he was fighting in the war around the time I could understand the world around me, I didn't realize how bad he was compared to my fellow Devils. No, perhaps I did know, but... my mom disappeared for her own reasons and left me alone." She continued.

Ishie felt a twinge of sadness hit her, remembering how Rias said Lilith vanished after telling the Angels and Fallen Angels about the war to avoid the Devils slaughtering them from what could have been a deadly surprise attack. While they eventually reunited, it couldn't have been until after the Civil War ended.

"By the time the war ended, my entire childhood and everything up until my 100th year had been nothing but war experiences. The frustrations of having to eventually lead my people and losing my parents was too much... who could blame me when some Devils convinced me to make the war continue?" Rizevia sighed.

"The dangers of peer pressure..." Ishie realized, whispering it aloud.

Rizevia nodded at the words her daughter whispered, taking a deep breath.

"And as a result, me and the other children of the Satans, my own childhood friends, gathered the Devils who felt this way and initiated the Civil War with me at the lead. The battle was always leaning in our favor, and victory seemed certain for us despite the current Satans' abnormal power. Ultimately, it took using all of mine to finally wake up..."

She closed her eyes, looking at her daughter as she explained what happened.

* * *

_Magical explosions and waves of demonic power were seen flying through the skies of the Underworld, making the land always covered by the darkness of night flash from the various attacks lightning up the battlefield. Every second, screams and squishing sounds marked the increasing death totals._

_In one particular area, an intense series of battles could be seen between each side's strongest four members, with each of the Satans' children fighting against the Devil who would inherit their names as titles in the present day._

_*"BOOM!"*_

_Tsufaame wielded her Sitri heritage to generate a flood of water in combination with her Leviathan powers, pushing Serafall to a corner as she faced more water than she could freeze._

_Ajuka tried to make his Kankara Formula as fast as possible, but against the swarm of bugs both big and small, his formulas were being overwhelmed and/or broken by one of the many smaller sub-swarms that Bidleid created through his Naberius heritage._

_Falbium had it the worst as he was pressed down against Damaidosu's powers, with most of his earlier attacks being dampened as a result of the latter's Balam heritage._

_"Rizevia, understand that if we Devils want to flourish again, the last thing we need is an unnecessary war." Sirzechs warned._

_"Do you really think I'll listen to you just because Grayfia joined your side? Forget it. To me, she's no different than any of you Devils in the New Satan Faction, so either shut and die, or shut up and fight me to the death!" Rizevia shouted._

_Sirzechs sighed as he realized she wouldn't listen, and had his Power of Destruction surrounding his aura._

_"If you insist." He replied._

**_"Aura of Destruction!"_**

_The rampaging power shot across the battlefield, causing the other six Devils to stop their battles as they noticed it._

_"Everyone, get out of the way!" Serafall screamed._

_Rizevia didn't bother moving, causing the attack to quickly envelop her within its normally fatal force, leaving many of the Old Satan Faction to gasp in horror as it swallowed up their leader. However, just as the New Satan Faction was about to let out a cheer?_

_"Did you really think it was that easy?" Rizevia questioned, almost sounding insulted._

_Suddenly, the worried and cheering sides were reversed as Rizevia simply swung her hand, briefly showing the worst she got was a few burns and torn clothing._

_"What!?" Sirzechs gasped._

_"Did you forget what my mother's power is? Because I have it as well, and that's why I willingly let your first attack hit me!" Rizevia replied, smirking as she did._

_She flared out her aura, which created energy similar to the PoD, only black and white. The original demonic power housing the divine light Lucifer started as, and what led to the few stories saying Lucifer had the power of darkness and (not holy) light at his command._

_"Now, it's time for you remember what ability was used to make the offshoot you known as the Power of Destruction!" She announced._

_Rizevia threw her hand out as she fully unleashed her full power._

**_"Cataclysmic Storm!"_**

_Just like Sirzechs had when unleashing his ultimate technique, an ocean of her rampant power spread out and swallowed his Power of Destruction, making Sirzechs' eyes widen as it enveloped him._

_However, the attack continued to spread, making many Devils from both sides release horrid screams as the attack struck them. Just to mark the horror, not only were their bodies erased by the attack, but their souls were ripped apart as they let out a final scream._

_"Sirzechs!" Grayfia screamed._

_The attack soon came to an end, leaving Sirzechs on the ground. He was defeated, but... he was still alive, prompting Grayfia to rush towards his defenseless form._

_"Do you understand now? I am the original Super Devil, preceding you by a whole century! There is no chance for your side to win!" Rizevia declared, pointing at him._

_"So, is destroying everything all you care about?" Grayfia questioned._

_Rizevia raised an eye, right as Grayfia looked at her with teary eyes._

_"Look around you... is this what you believe is the future of all Devils!?" She questioned again, glaring at her._

_The daughter of Lucifer felt annoyed by Grayfia's comment, but decided to look and humor her for a moment._

_However, that one look made her freeze up._

_"This... this is..." She breathed, nearly silent._

_Even with the four battles happening between them, and Sirzechs' ultimate attack, the landscape around them was still mainly untouched and/or could be repaired by magic later. Though what she actually saw before her at that very moment? Nothing more than a horrible and grayed out slab of land without any traces of life, both living on it or inside of it._

_Worse, there was a wisp of smoking coming off from everywhere where someone had been standing before their demise. Just to further horrify her, those who were only hit by her attack somewhat instead of fully were only half of themselves, and the looks on their faces left them looking like husks with no souls. Even those who the attack didn't harm were now no different than Swiss cheese, having been skewered by the debris._

_And this was people from both sides... meaning many of these casualties were her own allies from those among the Old Satan Faction._

_'This can't be... I was just trying to do what was right, just like my-' Rizevia thought, hoping to find some justification for what she did._

_Her eyes suddenly widened as she thought that._

_Rizevia was trying to do what her father would have done, but during this entire war, she hadn't even realized this. She hadn't realized how much she was becoming the same ruler that he was._

_A fact that filled her with disgust... because she always hated the man he was._

_"What have I done?" She realized._

_Grayfia showed surprise at that reaction._

_Before she could say anything more, Rizevia closed her eyes and flew off, catching the attention of her friends._

_"Rizevia? Rizevia, wait!" Tsufaame shouted._

_She followed Rizevia, quickly causing Bidleid and Damaidosu to follow them, sending the Old Satan Faction into a panic. They tried to go after them, but when they tried..._

_*"SHINK!"*_

_A wall of ice rose from the ground, revealing to be Serafall's creation, and completely sealed off the entire Old Satan Faction's army from their leaders._

_"You aren't getting away." Ajuka stated._

_"You will finish this battle." Falbium replied._

_Serafall turned to everyone in the New Satan Faction, getting their attention as she raised her hand into the air._

_"We can finally end this war! Everyone, follow us!" She announced._

_Everyone shouted a mighty rallying cry, and in the next hour, claimed the war in their victory. The survivors among the Old Satan Faction fled, never to reunited with their original leaders._

* * *

Ishie felt her eyes shake as she heard her mother finish that story, looking at Sirzechs in response.

"Just how bad was the damage?" She inquired.

"Enough that, while we eventually restored the land she so horribly damaged with her power, it took 400 years before it was able to support any plant life or ecosystems. That was the full extent of the power she unleashed against me." He revealed.

Ishie gasped.

Rizevia lowered her head at the confirmation of how bad the damage really was, rubbing her arm slightly.

"I never wanted to be like my father, and yet... it still happened. The revelation horrified me, and I just ran from the battle, no longer praising my strength. It took a long time before my friends understood what made me abandon the war, and they too understood the horrors of war I had seen for myself." She replied.

She took a deep breath before continuing, raising her head as she stopped rubbing her arm.

"Eventually, they chose to make amends, and brought their children to become the leaders of their bloodlines that the Underworld really needed. However, I couldn't do the same, not until I found the redemption for the damage I caused and the blood on my hands. As such, we went our separate ways as I began wandering the Earth, trying to prove that I could do more with my hands than destroy. Eventually, I found my mother, who had left to heal the damage Lucifer did to her." Rizevia continued.

"Damage?" Ishie repeated, afraid of what she'd hear as the answer.

"The horrible truth is your grandparents were never married... or at least, Lilith never considered they were married. Lucifer just forced Lilith's body to create his Devils, and when she began to refuse? He forced her into a sleeping spell that led to a certain sickness most Devils develop today as a result of her unknowingly creating it while in that horrible state. It wasn't until my father forced her to have me and Rizevim, my younger asshole of a twin brother, that she was finally awakened." She revealed.

Ishie briefly went white at that, while Sirzechs showed surprise.

"Grayfia, is she-" He asked via a whisper.

"Don't ask for the details." She answered.

Sirzechs wisely didn't, knowing that answer was her way of confirming it was true.

"Let's just say her body was breaking down in the same way a rock would get brittle with age." Rizevia mentioned, looking away as she did.

"OK..." Ishie squeaked out.

Clearing her throat to hopefully break the tension, Rizevia continued the story.

"Ages went by, long enough for me to actually question if I'd ever find the redemption I was hoping for, and then... I met your father. You should already know what happened from there." She revealed, smiling as she did.

Ishie smiled in response, especially since she started to realize how much more important this first meeting was.

"What truly made me realize how I had found my redemption was... that the day I told him what I really was had been the same day he proposed to me, and this was after I had told him. It wasn't long before you joined the family, and I finally found my redemption." Rizevia finished.

Hearing those words made Ishie sniffle a bit.

"Alright, I think I get it now, but... if you had magic, then why couldn't you save Yuuki and Aiko?" Ishie inquired.

Rizevia went silent, then teared up slightly.

"Because of how I grew up, that was the one form of magic I didn't know how to use. The only thing I could do was pay for the best medical treatment I could. When it wasn't enough to help them... I told both the truth on their death beds, even if it meant they'd hate me after hearing that. They never did, and knowing they wouldn't make it, asked me to leave something from both of them for you... although I don't think it worked." She admitted.

Ishie recalled how she had to see others using healing magic to learn it herself, and since Cleria was likely in hiding at the time, her mother was left with no way to learn it.

"What did you leave me that you think failed to work?" Ishie asked.

"Honestly, I can't remember. It's been too long." Rizevia admitted.

With all of that said, there was only one more question that Ishie needed an answer to. The one question that, out of everything she just learned, she truly needed to ask.

"Guess the only thing I really need to know now is... why did you seal my Devil side to begin with?" She inquired.

"For your own safety." Rizevia answered.

Ishie raised an eye at that, causing Rizevia to take a deep breath before placing a hand on her daughter's head.

"Despite that I've always been more like my mother... I did act like the tyrant my father was for a time, and since my own brother was identical to him aside from being much lazier, the one thing I feared when you were born was that you might end up the same way. Because of that, your grandma sealed your Devil side into that necklace, and then from there? I simply hoped that you wouldn't make the same mistakes that I had." She explained.

She then smiled, rubbing her daughter's head.

"Sure enough, you grew up with a kind heart, even after losing your brother and sister. I knew one day you'd have to regain your powers, but let fate decide when that should be. It was when I first saw Rias and then you asked Irina to share what happened to your siblings that I knew that day was coming." Rizevia continued.

"Mom..." Ishie replied, tearing up slightly.

"There was so much in my life going in horrible directions, and I didn't know how to avoid screwing things up. In the end... I'm glad you were the one thing that I did right." She admitted, shedding a few tears.

Ishie began crying at those words before she hugged her mother close, prompting her to do the same.

Sirzechs and Grayfia smiled at the sight, waiting for them to stop hugging before the former spoke.

"Ishie, now that we know you're a Lucifer, there's a lot more responsibilities you'll have as the hero of the underworld. As such, I need to ask you about something..." Sirzechs stated.

Ishie looked at him, waiting for his next response.

"Do you have any doubts about being able to guide the future of every Devil?" He inquired.

Hearing that question, a smiled formed on her face.

"Not at all. After all, I'm the hero of the Underworld!" She answered, without a hint of doubt.

Sirzechs smiled at those words.

* * *

As the Vali Team stood before their leader, all of them began to sweat as they felt the pressure of his glare, and heat he generated from his aura as a result of his anger.

"So, what you're telling me, right at this very moment... is that Vampire was a mole!?" He questioned.

"Uh... yeah, but I don't think she learned too much! I think her whole thing was to just-" Bikou replied.

Before he could even finish that sentence, he was shut up by Vali's aura suddenly flared up, making him back away and flash a nervous smile.

"She can split into multiple bats! She could have learned anything!" He screamed.

Feeling his heat start to get too strong, Elaine held her hand out and shot him with a small ice flurry, causing him to steam up.

"Are you calm now?" Elaine inquired.

"Yes, thank you." Vali replied, wiping the ice off his jacket.

Great Red soon teleported into view, getting the Vali Team's attention.

"Don't panic about it too much. True, we did have the one spy in our midst, but I've made sure there were others set up in the chaos. I'm completely certain that each of the Three Great Powers now has a member of the Khaos Brigade in their ranks." He reassured them.

"When did you have time to do that?" Le Fay inquired.

"When do I not have time to do anything?" He asked in return.

"Uh..." She replied.

Great Red chuckled in reply.

"Anyways, now that our existence is more publicly known? Let's play the waiting game as we try to gather more allies to our ranks. After all, I'm certain anyone else against the kind of changes that will likely come from this alliance will be easy pickings for us." He suggested.

"Is there anyone you have in mind?" Vali questioned.

The Dragon of Dreams smirked before looking at him, then revealed a few suggestions he already had, catching Vali's interest as he smirked.

* * *

Morning soon came, and while there should have been school today? The newly formed Alliance had cancelled classes out of safety.

Because of the Khaos Brigade's attack on the summit, it was suggested they make sure there was nothing in the school that could threaten the oblivious Human students, and currently had their soldiers looking around for things like bombs or etc.

As a result of this, the Occult Research Club was once again using Ishie's house as their meeting grounds, where she was about to reveal everything she just learned.

"OK, is everyone besides the church trio here? I already told them when they woke up this morning." Ishie asked.

"Millarca and Yumi aren't here, but that's not a problem since they only recently joined our club." Rias replied.

Hearing that, Ishie took a deep breath... and then a second, followed by a third, until Koneko finally threw a chip at her head. That action made Ishie blush, and then clear her throat.

"Everyone, as you're all aware... we found out I had eight Devil wings last night. It wasn't until I got home that I discovered the reason why I have eight." She began.

Ishie took a deep breath, and then slapped her cheeks to stay focused.

"It turns out that my mom's real identity is... Rizevia Lucifer." She revealed.

Silence followed as Koneko dropped her bag of chips, which spilled across the floor. Ishie began to sweat as no one reacted beyond that. Eventually, Rias began to let out a nervous laugh at the revelation.

Despite having followed her brother and hearing the whole exchange? She still couldn't believe that Ishie was a Lucifer.

"Cute joke Ishie, but seriously, tell us what you really found out?" Rias begged, starting to sweat.

"Wow, the shock was so bad that she's gone into denial." Rizevia remarked.

Rias turned around as she heard Ishie's mother, which is when her pupils turned into small dots, seeing the figure of Rizevia Lucifer standing before her.

"Mrs. Hyoudou, you don't need to uphold your daughter's joke. Please stop now." Rias begged again, sweating even more.

Rizevia sighed and shook her head.

Knowing that Rias was going to keep denying what she learned, heard, and saw without more definite proof? Rizevia held up her hand and created an orb of a familiar black and white energy. Once she saw that, Rias let out a small whispering scream.

"Only a Lucifer is capable of using this power, and you know this, so are you still going to try convincing yourself I'm not Rizevia Lucifer?" She stated.

Rias answered in the only way she could in such a shocked state.

"I reincarnated... the granddaughter of Lucifer... as my Bishop..." She mumbled, stating the obvious as her body swung.

And once she finished speaking, she immediately fell on the floor as her eyes spun, making Akeno gasp in response.

"Oh my, is she alright?" She asked.

"She's alive and breathing. She's fine." Koneko remarked.

Ishie gave out an awkward laugh in response to hearing Koneko's words, scratching her cheek slightly. After another minute or two, Rias finally got back up, a little bit groggy from the brief stress she weighed on her mind.

"Honestly, now that the shock isn't overwhelming me to the point of denial? That actually explains a lot about Ishie's durability." Rias realized, holding her head.

"It does?" Ishie asked.

"She's right, there's an ability you and I get from your grandma that makes us hard to kill. It's called _Resistance_." Rizevia answered.

"Resistance?" Ishie repeated.

"The name's pretty self-explanatory. It's a power that makes the user's body remember any offensive attacks it receives, and adapts it to take less damage from it. This is the main reason that Sirzechs was unable to defeat me when we fought in the war. It doesn't stack or grant immunity, but it's a powerful defensive ability." Her mother explained.

Ishie's eyes widened as she heard that.

"So, in other words... getting poisoned from a light bullet actually saved my life, which in turn saved me from being incinerated by a Holy-" Ishie asked.

"Don't finish that sentence." Rizevia interjected.

Ishie blushed in embarrassment, rubbing her neck.

"But yes, that they did." She confirmed.

Her daughter let out a sigh of relief, feeling incredibly lucky for having this power, and grateful to her grandma for passing it down to her.

"Hey, are all of you talking about me?" Lilith inquired.

Everyone looked to see Ishie's grandma, who they now knew as Lilith, sitting on the stairs. Like her daughter, she had since dispelled her Human disguise to show her real appearance to everyone.

She had black hair to her daughter and granddaughter, with hers being a similar length to Ishie's (being just a tad longer), though her hair was much unruly in comparison. Her bangs even bent towards her right eye, revealing them to be like Rizevia's if the red was replaced by pink. Also, since she was the Devil known as the personification of lust, she had a figure that surpassed even her daughter's, which had an amazing B110-W57-H92 for her three sizes.

'Whoa! Is that really my grandma sitting there?' Ishie wondered.

As she was looking at her, and assumed the change from her disguise's blue eyes to her actual purple/pink eyes in a way her hazel eyes had become a purple/gold color after regaining her Lucifer powers through her fight with Vali, she noticed _all_ of her friends were blushing at the sight of her grandma's beauty.

"Wait, why are all of you blushing!?" Ishie questioned.

"We... don't know!" Rias answered, getting redder.

Lilith let out a slight giggle before placing her hands on the stairs and pushing off to hop onto the ground, standing by her daughter as she smiled at everyone.

"Nice to officially meet you all. I hope you've all been taking care of my granddaughter." Lilith greeted.

"I'd like to answer that, but just standing before you makes me too nervous to answer." Rias confessed.

Lilith giggled at that.

"Then that might be a problem for you." She mentioned.

"Uh... why would that be a problem?" Rias asked worriedly.

"Nothing much. Well, aside from the fact that as of today, your brother has made me the official adviser of the Occult Research Club." Lilith announced.

Rias felt her eyes widen, shortly followed by everyone but Ishie, whose eyes instead sparkled with excitement.

"I see all of you are surprised. Honestly, the reason is very simply. It's because I was the best out of multiple options. If not me, you would have gotten either Azazel..." She explained.

"Denied." Ishie replied, closing her eyes with an angry look and making an X with her arms.

"Or Serafall, which I'm sure would have caused Sona to react in the same way." Lilith added.

Rias sighed as she heard that.

"Well, I guess if there's anyone in that role and as our mentor, then having the original Devil Queen isn't exactly a bad deal." She remarked, deciding to accept it.

Lilith smiled in response, then snapped her fingers as Rias reminded her about something.

"I almost forgot, Sirzechs gave me another message. To ask everyone for me to spare a door in their respective homes to enchant with gateway magic." Lilith mentioned.

"Why?" She asked, raising an eye.

"Because this is his official order. At the start of Summer, all of the supernatural members in the Occult Research Club will move into the Lucifer Mansion, which is now their official base!" She revealed.

"Say what!?" Everyone shouted.

Rizevia blinked, then let out a small chuckle as she took out her phone, realizing her husband finally had a reason to officially retire from his job.

* * *

As this was going on, the church trio and Yumi were all where the abandoned church used to be, which had been torn down so they could officially start rebuilding it.

They were also joined by Millarca, although she was currently hanging upside down from a tree so she could sleep. Because they couldn't visit the school, she couldn't borrow Gasper's coffin, so this was the best option for her.

"You sure no one's going to question three people rebuilding a church, especially with how Millarca's sleeping like that?" Yumi asked.

After being discharged from the hospital, Rias created a formal identification for Tosca, giving her the official identity of Yumi Tome after her Sacred Gear and finding a name that had a similar first kanji and opposite second kanji to the ones that made up Kiba's surname.

Said kanji were the ones for wealth, since the Yuu of Kiba's name meant leisurely, and sprout, since the To of his name meant to soar or fly. As for her Sacred Gear, it was an archer's bow that saved her life due to giving her some protection because of the gassing happening while there was moonlight.

"Probably, but Lord Michael said we had to rebuild it ourselves." Irina replied.

"Guess you do owe him for reinstating you as church members, so it does show your faith to work that hard for it." Yumi realized.

Millarca stretched at that moment, having heard their last few words as she woke up.

"The good news for them is Japan's a country that would likely ignore a church being torn down and rebuilt with how the view Christianity here... which I don't know too much about aside from it's kind of rare?" She mentioned.

"You... don't want the answer to that." Irina replied, looking to the side as a sweat drop went down her face.

"Hmm?" Asia blinked, not understanding what Irina meant by that.

Xenovia wiped her sweating forehead before placing a hand on Asia's shoulder.

"I wouldn't think about it too much. I'm still just as confused as I am shocked over what Ishie told us when we woke up." She suggested.

"OK?" Asia replied in confusion, despite following her suggestion.

Yumi let out an awkward and quiet laugh before looking at Millarca.

"Say, how exactly did you end up becoming a mole for that Vali guy and his group? I doubt you could have just learned where your friend Gasper was and then followed them all the way to Kuoh Town." She asked.

"Luck was the defining factor there. Great Red and the Vali Team had been looking for strong members to join the latter, since they're his elite guards in a sense, and Romania ended up being one of their multiple stops in that process. From there, what happened was..." Millarca answered.

Yumi listened closely as she kept going.

* * *

_Currently wearing a pink dress, a saddened Millarca sighed as she sat on her bed, munching on some garlic to try and distract herself... which was failing._

_"What am I supposed to do? I told Gaspy that I'd find him eventually, but I still haven't been able to find a way to leave." She sighed, drawing circles on her black sheets._

_"Intruders!" Someone screamed._

_Hearing that, Millarca's eyes widened before looking out her window, causing her to see many guards from the Carmilla Faction rush at Great Red._

_"Pathetic." He replied._

_His eyes flashed, immediately causing all of the guards to suddenly hold their stomachs and vomit out blood._

_They tried to get back onto their feet, only for them to freeze as Vali held out Ascalon towards them, using its holy aura to threaten and subdue them with little to no effort. For added measure, the rest of the Vali Team quickly surrounded them._

_"If you want to live, then you'll listen to what we have to say." Vali warned._

_"And why should we listen to anything you ask of-" A guard demanded._

_Said guard was cut as Ascalon's blade extended, causing blood to pour out of her before it dissolved her body. That was enough to silence the remaining Vampires._

_"We've come here looking for one of your own to join our ranks, regardless of if they're a Carmilla or Tepes, and that's it. Leave us alone as we search for our future ally, and no one else has to die because of your species' superiority complex." Great Red announced._

_Millarca gulped as she heard that, slowly backing away from the window at what she assumed was likely trouble._

_"I'd be fast about it too. In a few days, we plan to attack a summit happening in Kuoh Town, where the Three Great Powers will be having a meeting about a possible alliance between them." Vali added._

_She suddenly stopped, recognizing the name of Kuoh Town._

_'That's... that's where Gaspy currently lives!' She realized._

_Her scared face changed to a serious one, causing her to rip off the dress she was wearing, and briefly leaving her in just her underwear until she changed into more casual clothing. After that, she grabbed her bed sheets and tied them around her, creating the cloak she wore at the summit._

_Just as the Vali Team began their search, they heard a slight thud behind them._

_"Hmm?" Vali raised an eye, looking behind him._

_Millarca stood on her feet as she walked up to Vali._

_"I'd like to join your team, if it's alright with you." Millarca offered, holding out her hand._

_He looked at it before begrudgingly accepting the handshake._

* * *

Millarca let out a playful laugh at how everything happened, while Yumi just stared at her in surprise.

"Seriously? That's all that happened?" Yumi asked.

"Pretty much, and I bet he's still fuming." Millarca answered.

Yumi tried to say something as Millarca began laughing, but just scrunched her mouth as she failed to generate any kind of words, much less think of what to say.

"Let's just hope he doesn't fume by attacking someone. You know, such as his rival... which happens to be my best friend?" Irina mentioned, suddenly nervous.

Millarca stopped laughing, which was replaced with a nervous chuckle.

"I'm... gonna go buy some more garlic." She decided.

She immediately ran off, leaving the others to stare at her retreating form.

"This might be a little out of nowhere, but... is it weird that even I'm getting used to what others would consider a strange reaction?" Xenovia inquired.

"No, just the opposite." Asia admitted.

Yumi gave an awkward smile as a sweat drop slid down her cheek.

* * *

Back at Ishie's house, everyone aside from Rizevia and Lilith were gathered in the living room area, where the ORC was having their official meeting for the day.

"With the recent revelation that Ishie's real name is Ishie _Lucifer_... it seems that today's meeting should be about how that news will eventually echo across the Underworld." Rias decided, nervously holding her tea.

The granddaughter of Lucifer began to sweat as she heard that.

"It can't be that big... can it?" Ishie asked.

"Of course it's that big. Even though he was one of four leaders, Lucifer was still the de facto King of the Devils, meaning you're a princess." Koneko bluntly answered.

Her eyes widened before she spit out her tea, prompting Rassei to jump and catch it in his mouth.

"Another of my fantasies came true!?" She exclaimed.

"Technically, it was true all along." Murayama mentioned.

Ishie paused as she heard that, holding a smile on her face in a way that freaked everyone out.

"Hello? Ishie, are you still there?" Katase asked.

She waved a hand in front of her face, but no reaction happened.

Murayama then clapped her hands in front of Ishie's face.

"Wha!" She screamed.

Ishie fell over, though quickly sat up again.

"OK, so I'm basically going to replace your brother and ancestor one day... no pressure." Ishie said, letting out a fake laugh.

"You think you're the only one stressed out by this revelation? People are going to expect big things from me now that I have you in my peerage, and not just because you're of a higher status than I am." Rias said with a sigh.

Hearing that caused Ishie to blush in embarrassment, making her rub the back of her neck.

"Uh... well, at least you can say you prevented the death of the Lucifer Heiress?" She replied.

Rias felt her eyes widen before she stood up and smiled.

"You're right, I can say that! It even makes how I beat Riser even better than before!" She replied, getting a little prideful.

'Maybe it wasn't a good idea for me to say that...' Ishie thought.

Right as she said that, a magic circle appeared by her ear, with Rias hearing her father's voice.

"Akeno, finish explaining things for me. My dad needs to talk with me in private." She requested.

"Of course." Akeno replied.

Rias then walked off to speak with her father, while Ishie focused her view towards Akeno.

"Getting back on track. Every Summer, the Occult Research Club visits the Underworld, mainly because it's around this time of year where all of the Young Devils gather for a Devil holiday of sorts, but because of Ishie..." She explained.

"Let me guess, not only will the new alliance influence things, but that's probably when Sirzechs will announce my Lucifer heritage?" Ishie assumed.

"More than likely. As such, this will likely be where the Seven Satan system will be made official, meaning all seven heirs will be in attendance." Akeno confirmed.

Katase raised a hand.

"Yes?" Akeno inquired.

"How long will this trip be? Because I'd need to let my parents know ahead of time if I go on any kind of trip during the Summer." She asked.

"We'll be spending the entire Summer there, but Lilith did say she's using doors in our homes as gateways to the Underworld, so you could just come visit Ishie's house every day and come back for the night." Akeno answered.

"Oh yeah. My mom did say to make sure the house didn't look empty, my dad would be here more often than in that mansion we'll be moving into until I graduate." Ishie recalled.

She twitched slightly after saying that.

"Wow, I am not used to saying I have a mansion." Ishie remarked, twitching a second time.

"Alright, then I guess me and Katase could say the ORC has a summer project where we look into rumored sightings of weird creatures, since this is our first year in the club." Murayama decided.

Rias soon walked back into the room.

"Akeno, my father needs me to return home a day early for a few reasons, so I'll need you to cover my absence and everyone's train ride." Rias requested.

"Understood." Akeno replied.

"Wait... did you just say train ride?" Ishie inquired, looking confused.

"I did. That's the proper channel to enter from, unlike with the Familiar Forest, which has limited access." Rias confirmed.

Katase and Murayama sighed in relief.

"Glad the way to Hell is fairly normal... if I'm using the term correctly." Katase remarked.

"Actually... what _is_ the difference between the two terms?" Murayama inquired.

"Ah, allow me to explain. Hell is an entire realm that has the Underworld near the top of it. I don't know much about the other six areas, other than Hades rules one of them." Akeno clarified.

"Oh, so that's why I'm called the Hero of the Underworld, rather than the Hero of Hell." Ishie realized.

"Yep, that's right." Akeno nodded.

Akeno soon stood up on her feet.

"It will be a long trip, so aside from your vacation luggage, you should make sure to bring some entertainment and lunch with you." She suggested.

'In my case, my luggage is basically everything.' Ishie thought, mentally chucking.

Koneko went silent all of a sudden, which only seemed to catch Rassei's notice.

* * *

The following day, everyone finished their last day of class before they headed to the train station, with Akeno leading the group. Ishie was blushing slightly getting Irina's attention.

"Are you alright?" She asked.

"I'm fine... don't ask." Ishie replied.

Irina was confused by that reply, since Ishie was still blushing out of nowhere, but Ishie turned her head, making it clear she wasn't going to tell her any more than she already had.

Although, she did notice Ishie had her one arm held against her chest for some reason.

"Haven't all the trains already left? It seems like that would be a problem for us." Xenovia asked, noticing no trains anywhere she looked.

Akeno giggled in response before holding up a card.

"Those aren't the trains we'll be using." Akeno replied.

"Ooh, a card like that of a secret agent? I like where this is heading!" Millarca remarked.

Her thoughts were proven right as Akeno placed it against the wall, causing a hidden door to open and reveal an escalator to a hidden floor.

"Amazing!" Irina exclaimed.

"You do remember we're going to the Underworld, right? Did you ever consider that we might be going _under_ something?" Lilith joked.

"Nice pun." Millarca replied, giggling as she did.

Everyone went down the escalator, following Akeno until they saw a terminal with a red train.

"So, this is the Gremory Train? The outside already seems fancy enough." Rizevia remarked.

While everyone was distracted, Ishie tapped Akeno's shoulder.

"Hmm?" Akeno said, looking at Ishie.

"Two questions. Is there a bathroom nearby, and do you have any spare bras?" She inquired.

"Yes and yes, but... why?" Akeno replied.

Ishie blushed even more as she lowered her one arm, making her breasts bounce as Akeno noticed two bumps, quickly exposing her lack of a bra to the Gremory Queen.

"Oh?" She replied, giving her a playful smirk.

"Shut up! I've been dealing with my Lucifer heritage changing my body since I got it back! Yesterday it was my eyes, and now this!" Ishie whisper shouted, blushing as she did.

When she woke up this morning, Ishie tried to put on her bra, only to discover she couldn't clip it.

She chose to measure her bust after, and discovered it had grown from 97 cm to 101 cm. Her grandma said she could adjust her clothes with magic... except for her underwear, for reasons she couldn't explain. Because of that, she had to go without a bra until she could borrow a pair.

Unfortunately, the only girl she knew with such a large bust was Akeno, who she didn't want to ask while everyone could see and hear her it would be too embarrassing.

"Fine, fine." Akeno waved, summoning a sexy pink bra using magic.

"Don't tell anyone." Ishie replied as she took it.

She quickly rushed to the bathroom, right as Irina turned around.

"Where's Ishie going?" She asked.

"The bathroom, she was nervous about how she looked because of what this trip is about." Akeno lied.

"Oh, so that's why she was blushing." Irina realized.

Ishie soon came back, no longer troubled now that she had a bra on, right as everyone began boarding the train. Once inside, everyone aside from Akeno, Kiba, Koneko, and Gasper noticed how fancy it was.

"Wow, I didn't expect it to be this luxurious." Ishie admitted.

"Hmm... you know, some of this looks familiar." Rizevia realized.

"That's because the Gremory Clan inherited this and everything else from the Lucifer Clan, some of which was used in making this train." Kiba explained.

Rizevia blinked in confusion, though suddenly blushed as it clicked in her head.

"Oh, that's right... I did mess up the Gremory Clan's land to draw out Sirzechs during the Civil War, didn't I?" She remembered.

"Huh?" Ishie blinked.

Her mother blushed as she looked away, rubbing the back of her head.

"While we were still the leaders of the Old Satan Faction, my friends and I did was launch an assault on the current Satans' Clans to draw them out into a battle where we had the advantage. The irony is that was the same battle that made me realize what I had almost become." Rizevia admitted.

Ishie gave an awkward laugh in reply.

"I think you need to stop telling me about your past..." Ishie suggested.

Rizevia nodded in agreement.

"Well, ignoring the depressing parts of that story? It's also why all of the Clans the current Satans came from and my own moved everything they still had to the territories of the Satan Clans, then merged with them to create the Underworld's only four domains." Sylvie revealed.

Ishie turned to see Sylvie sitting beside her.

"Wait, Sylvie? Why are you here?" She asked.

"Because I was originally going to go home after the summit ended, but since the Khaos Brigade attacked, that didn't happen. Since the Lilith Clan's is in the same domain as the Lucifer and Gremory Clans, this train ride will also be my ride home. Likewise, Ingvild's riding with Sona and her peerage for the same reasons." Sylvie answered.

"Makes sense." Ishie replied.

The door of another train car opened, getting everyone's attention.

"Greetings, I am Reynaldo, the conductor of this train. I'm here to confirm and record everyone who will be making their first trip into the Underworld." He greeted.

Holding out a device, Reynaldo scanned Ishie, which revealed the registered information within her Bishop piece.

"It still surprises me how we're going into the same Hell I once tossed infidels into. For a believer of the church, that's irony for you." Xenovia remarked, holding out her ticket for Reynaldo to mark.

"No offense Xenovia, but unlike me and Asia? You actually fit in due to your infamous nickname." Irina remarked.

Xenovia blushed at that.

"Oh? Do tell?" Lilith asked.

"She's called the _Violence of God_, for fairly obvious reasons." Irina revealed.

Ishie felt her cheeks puff as she tried not to laugh at the embarrassed exorcist.

"Alright, everyone's been confirmed." Reynaldo smiled.

The newer riders soon felt a strange sensation as the crossed a dimensional border, causing the sight outside the windows to be replaced with an ocean of violet energy.

"What is this?" Ishie asked.

"That's a sign we're shifting between realms, with the color meaning we've entered Hell's realm space." Rizevia answered.

As Gasper played a video game, he soon noticed Koneko hadn't touched her lunch.

"Hey... Koneko? Your lunch is gonna get cold." He warned.

She didn't say anything, making him raise an eye, with Katase and Murayama noticing her sudden silence.

"Is it just me, or is she strangely quiet?" Katase whispered.

"Yeah, I wonder if something's wrong with her?" Murayama replied.

While Koneko heard everything they said, she decided not to say anything. This is when Kiba gave a small frown that caught Yumi's attention. However, before she could ask him about it...

_"We will soon arrive at the Sitri/Leviathan domain terminal!"_

That surprised most of the group.

"Wait, why are we-" Ishie questioned.

"Hey Hyoudou!" Saji announced.

Looking behind her, Ishie saw Saji walk through the door, joined by Sona and Ingvild.

"Oh, now that makes more sense." Ishie realized.

"Rias was kind enough to let us ride on the Gremory Train, so it felt right to see how everyone was before we got off." Sona added.

"I'm definitely feeling anxious." Ishie admitted.

"That's understandable, considering you're one of the two factors that makes this anything but an ordinary trip." Ingvild replied.

Ishie gave a nervous laugh in response.

"So, what kind of training will you all be doing once you get there?" Saji inquired.

Everyone showed confusion.

"Saji, that was supposed to be a secret." Ingvild reminded him.

Saji paled at that.

"Oops! Well, next time we meet? I'll be a lot stronger. Good luck on your end." He replied.

The three of them returned to their car as Lilith gave a playful giggle.

"Before anyone asks me? No spoilers, so you'll just have to keep guessing until something happens." She stated, winking at everyone.

"Well, after that reply? I think we can tell who set up the training..." Asia realized.

Lilith giggled a second time, making Asia sweat in response. It was around then the dimensional border had been crossed, making Akeno smile.

"Everyone, take a look." She said as she pointed to the windows.

Ishie looked out the window, and her eyes widened at what she saw.

Like she had seen before while in the Familiar Forest, the entire region was in eternal night, though it was brighter as a result of daytime being reflected by a sky being almost completely filled with stars. The land itself had a lot of influence from the time of European nobles mixed with some modern aspects, and it was mostly land covering the area.

"Wow!" She exclaimed.

"Holy crap... I don't remember the Underworld being this green in the 16th century! The new government really knows what it's doing." Rizevia mentioned.

"More than likely, the knowledge shared by reincarnated Devils is to thank for that." Lilith assumed.

Akeno soon pointed to one area.

"See the area of land where there's a blue tint? That's the territory owned by the Sitri and Leviathan Clans." Akeno revealed.

Irina gasped as she heard that.

"You mean all of that? That's like... I actually can't tell from up here, but that seems like a lot!" Irina exclaimed.

"They comprise the same amount of land as the island of Hokkaido." Kiba revealed.

Irina's eyes widened.

"Funnily enough, that's exactly how much land the fused territories comprise. The Sitri/Leviathan domain's size mainly comes from the water, research facilities make some of the Astaroth/Beelzebub domain, while the Glasya-Labolas/Asmodeus domain doesn't have anything extra." Akeno added.

"As for the Gremory/Lucifer/Lilith domain? What makes it so big isn't just the fact that three clans comprise its land, but the fact that aside from the Lucifuge Clan, there were five other major clans that used to live there before Lucifer died." Sylvie mentioned.

"The Six Houses of Lucifer... I haven't heard that name in a long time." Rizevia replied, crossing her arms slightly.

That caught Ishie's attention.

"What are these Six Houses of Lucifer? Since you said you only have a younger twin brother, I don't think it's related to multiple branches in the family tree." Ishie asked.

"They were six clans, including mine when we were still the Lucifuge Clan, that served Lucifer and were the superiors to many of the 72 Pillars until the time of the Civil War." Sylvie explained.

"Let me guess, they fled alongside the Old Satan Faction?" Ishie guessed.

"Not exactly. Lady Rizevia herself destroyed most of them when she ordered all six to gather for her battle against Uncle Sirzechs, and those who survived were then captured and made prisoners, only freed when Aunt Grayfia herself eventually convinced them to switch sides." Sylvie replied.

That surprised Rizevia and Lilith.

"Seriously? All of them?" Lilith asked.

"Yeah, really. Thought it took centuries before she could do it. Even then, I think it was only because rescuing me from my father is what helped them realize why both of you chose to leave in the first place." Sylvie confirmed.

Lilith hummed before smiling, impressed by Grayfia's achievements.

"I need to remember to thank her for that, and saving my daughter." She replied.

Rizevia blushed at that.

"Mom!" She exclaimed.

"Ah, I bet it was doing this that caused the Lilith Clan to be named the last Clan to be made one of the Satan candidates, wasn't it?" Ishie realized.

"Yeah, and those survivors became my Clan's servants, though I'm sure some of them have been reassigned to the Lucifer Clan." Sylvie confirmed.

Ishie let out an awkward chuckle, knowing it would be weird to have them.

_"We will soon arrive at the Gremory/Lucifer/Lilith domain terminal!"_

Hearing that, Ishie looked out the window again, and her eyes widened at the massive stretch of land rivaling Honshu.

"There it is... home." Rizevia smiled.

As the train began lowering itself towards the terminal, the sight of a figure hiding in the shadows could be seen, with the only thing that could identify them was their eyes. Eyes that were just like Koneko's.

"Shirone..." Kuroka stated, noticing her sister's chi within the train's walls.

She silently followed the train from the shadows, without anyone the wiser.

* * *

**That's it for this chapter. Rizevia's come clean about everything about why she hid Ishie's heritage from her, and now that she knows and understands her reasons, Ishie's been able to start accepting who she is. Compared to my other DxD story, Lucifer follows the claims of being a horrible leader to the key, so the choices Ishie makes have more weight through being a better leader than her grandfather was.**

**Anyways, now you know how Ishie's been able to survive what's normally fatal to most Devils, and it's because she has a powerful defensive ability, and a canon one that Tobio was only able to overcome by manipulating his aura. Just so no one misunderstands this, Ishie gaining a resistance to something only reduces the damage and fatality to her, so the right attack (such as any attack from Shiva, Ophis, or Great Red) could still one-shot her if she's not careful.**

**Speaking of adapting, Ishie's body is still going through the process of regaining her full Lucifer heritage, and it's still not completely finished. Just like how Rias has the figure she does because of her Bael blood, Ishie regaining her Lucifer blood has done the same for her bust size. The reason Akeno's still bigger is to mostly keep Ishie humble, and because I may only have her be bigger once she's a Third Year.**

**I've been waiting to bring up how Hell and the Underworld differ, and this is how. Like Heaven, it has seven layers, which you can find on the DxD wiki page for the Underworld. The main differences are the top realm is still known as Hell, since it's meant to be the entrance like the first Heaven is for the other six layers of Heaven, with the Netherworld being what I'll call Hades' realm. Each of Heavens' layers also has their own names, but I'll be revealing them later.**

**Until next time everyone, and stay awesome! ^^**


	16. A New Era, Part 2

**Here we are with part two! Before anything else, since we're in the area of the story that was adapted into S3/BorN, I'd like everyone to know that despite the changes that will happen, things will be more faithful to the novels. This means you'll definitely see the Gremory Vs Sitri game in this story. At best, I'll simply adapt V7's events before those of V6, and this has more to do with this Vali's Norse heritage and other events that I can't talk about due to spoilers.**

**Best of all, I can confirm that I succeeded in getting Gasper and Vali's scene in this half, so to everyone who had been waiting for those scenes since? The chapter split? That wait is now over! Even better, the second half was able to merge enough to what was going to be Ch 16 when I didn't expect to split Ch 15, so consider that my apology for the small delay.**

**Anyways, due to said merging I just mentioned above, this chapter will also be covering everyone's training alongside the Young Devil's Gathering, meaning you'll start seeing the other Satan heirs besides Sylvie and Ingvild appear. Also, to answer a guest reviewer's concern, some of the Satan heirs will be some of those powerful male characters as of this chapter.**

**One last thing I'll mention before we begin is, as a result of Kuroka appearing in the previous chapter, that this version of her is _not_ an ally of the Vali Team in any form. His heritage and possession of Ascalon are the reasons for this, as they both served to push her away during the unknown events that make her seek him out in canon, along with other reasons I can't talk about due spoilers. Elaine takes her place on the Vali Team since her magic is on a similar level.**

**Now, that's all I have to say for today's start notes, so let the chapter begin!**

**P.S: The canon cast, at least among those we actually see, will be wearing their outfits from Ch 60 of the manga. As such, their outfits won't be described.**

* * *

**[Chapter 16 - A New Era, Part 2]**

Ishie had expected that they would be visiting the Gremory Mansion when they arrived, but her grandma quickly corrected that by saying Rias and her family were all meeting them in their new home since it needed cleaning up.

Since it likely hadn't been cleaned or maintained for a while now, it made sense after Ishie heard it, but once she was actually standing in front of the building...

"Holy shit!" She screamed.

What she expected as a fancier Human mansion looked more like a mansion when compared to another mansion! Just to emphasize the fact, the Gremory and Lilith Clan's mansions weren't that far away, letting her see both of the noticeable smaller buildings for a proper comparison.

"Wow, this place is enormous." Xenovia remarked.

"You think? Doesn't seem that big." Rizevia replied.

Before anyone could make any more remarks/comments/etc. about the Lucifer Mansion, the door opened up to reveal Grayfia.

"Welcome everyone. Please, follow me inside." She greeted.

They all did, causing them to see a maid and butler stand before them, who both bowed in response to seeing Ishie had arrived. The first was a man that looked to be in his 20's with bronze hair and a lean figure, and the second was a woman that looked to be in her late teens with long jade-green hair and a voluptuous figure.

"Greetings to you Lady Ishie. My name is Balberith Satanachia, and I'll be your personal butler." The man greeted.

"And my name is Verrine Fleurety, the same will be true with me, but as your personal maid." The woman greeted.

Ishie gave a nervous laugh in response.

"Hey Sylvie, are these two..." She asked.

"Yep, the Fleurety and Satanachia Clans were both among the Six Houses of Lucifer, with the others being the Agaliarept, Sargatanas, and Nebiros Clans. It's too bad that the Nebiros Clan isn't with us anymore." Sylvie confirmed, sighing slightly.

Ishie paused at that, then raised an eye at her.

"I thought you said your Aunt got all of the remaining clans to side with the new government?" She inquired.

"Huh? Oh crap, my bad! I always goof that part because their name sounds like the Naberius Clan's name. Truth is they're the only ones who didn't. Either they went extinct, or sided with the Old Satan Faction and hid themselves." Sylvie explained.

Koneko briefly flinched at the mention of the Naberius Clan, which Rizevia quickly noticed.

'Hmm... that didn't seem random.' She thought.

Ishie nodded to Sylvie's reply, understanding the confusion.

"I see what you mean there. Those names do sound too similar to one another." She remarked.

Grayfia continued leading the group as Balberith and Verrine briefly followed, soon standing at the front of two lines made by the other butlers and maids who had recently been assigned to the Lucifer Clan's service.

"Ishie, I'm really nervous..." Asia whispered, her hands fidgeting.

"Good. It isn't just me." Ishie replied, feeling somewhat relieved.

"Are you really that nervous?" Rias asked.

Ishie suddenly looked ahead, seeing Rias walking into view, making her smile.

"Oh, hey Rias!" She greeted.

"Did you only come back early to help clean?" Lilith joked.

"No, my dad had me come for different reason." Rias replied.

She then looked at Ishie.

"And are you really that nervous about all of this? It seems a little strange to me." Rias teased.

"Yeah, says the girl who didn't suddenly just learn who her famous grandpa was." Ishie countered.

Sylvie rolled her eyes at their discussion.

"Sylvie!" A young male voice shouted.

Hearing that voice, she turned her head to see a young boy with short red hair and red eyes and wearing a red suit run towards her, his arms out.

"Millicas!" Sylvie exclaimed.

She hugged him as he jumped into her arms, then spun him around once.

"Wow, you've gotten so big since I last saw you!" She smiled.

"Wait a second... red hair and red eyes? Grayfia, is he-" Ishie asked, realizing who gave him the latter.

Grayfia simply nodded her head.

"Why don't you be a good boy and introduce yourself?" Sylvie suggested.

"OK." Millicas replied.

He stood before everyone and put his hands together.

"My name is Millicas Gremory, it's a pleasure to meet you." He greeted.

Asia squealed at that.

"So cute!" She smiled.

"Devilish looks and good manners, talk about prince charming." Xenovia remarked.

Grayfia soon stood by a door, clearing her throat to get everyone's attention.

"Excuse me everyone, but Lady Gremory would like to meet you." Grayfia stated, motioning her hand to the door.

Everyone walked inside, and Ishie saw a woman who looked like Rias with shorter, flaxen-colored hair and purple eyes.

"Rias, does every Devil girl and their mother look like sisters?" Ishie whispered.

Rias simply smiled, not saying a thing.

'In other words, that's a yes...' Ishie realized.

The rest of the Gremory Team took a step forward and bowed slightly.

"It's a pleasure to see you again, Lady Venelana." Akeno greeted.

"You sound so different Akeno." Venelana smiled.

She then focused her gaze towards the rest of the group, which is when Ishie felt herself getting nervous.

"I'm so delighted to meet all your new friends. I'm Rias' mom, Venelana Gremory." She greeted.

'Kiba told me that Rias gets her Power of Destruction from her mom, who was from the Bael Clan before marrying her father. Is that why I feel so jumpy?' Ishie thought.

Venelana then shifted her attention towards Ishie.

"Ah, you must be Ishie Lucifer." Venelana realized.

"Ah, y-yes! That's me! I-It's a pleasure to meet you!" Ishie replied, her nerves still showing.

Venelana let out a slight giggle at her reaction.

"No need to be so stiff or formal, you're perfectly fine as you are. After all, since you're part of my daughter's peerage, you're part of the family in a sense." Venelana replied.

Rias blushed at that.

"Mother, stop!" She exclaimed, her blush still prominent.

"Yes, I agree." Rizevia stated, though with a deadpan look.

Venelana giggled at their reactions.

"I believe it's time we all sat down for dinner. Rias, would you show everyone the way?" She suggested before walking off.

Rias sighed before she looked at Ishie, who was now giving her a cat-like smile.

"Not. One. Word." Rias stated.

"OK then, here's two. _How embarrassing._" Ishie replied.

She sighed at how easily she walked into that remark.

* * *

Night soon arrived in the Underworld, which Ishie now confirmed was when the stars (or some kind of equivalent), disappeared to leave what would be complete darkness to any non-Devils.

After having dinner, with Rias and her parents as their guests, Ishie decided to call it a night and went to her new room.

"This bed is too empty and the room's too big!" She screamed.

"Rah, rah!" Rassei roared in agreement, being similarly annoyed.

At least that was her plan.

While the immense luxuries of her new home were still a lot for her to get used to, her currently empty room and the giant bed was the worst part of it, as she couldn't get comfortable no matter her posture or choice of sleep aid.

"We have to start training tomorrow, so how am I supposed to do that when this stupid bed's going to be a problem?" Ishie asked herself, this time in a normal voice.

She let out a groan.

*"KNOCK! KNOCK!"*

That caught her attention, making her and Rassei sit up for a moment.

"Come in!" She replied.

She saw the door open, revealing the church trio in their respective nightwear.

"Let me guess, your beds are so big that you can't sleep on them?" Ishie assumed.

"Yeah." Irina confirmed, slightly embarrassed.

"We thought maybe sharing a bed might help until we get used to it?" Asia suggested.

Ishie shrugged in response.

"I'd just like to get some sleep, so if you think it'll do something, then go for it." She replied.

Soon enough, everyone was gathered on the bed, with Rassei snuggling near Ishie's chest.

"Huh, this is... actually more comfortable now." Ishie admitted.

As she thought this, she let out a loud gasp, surprising the trio.

"Wait, what about Gasper? This is totally going to trigger his agoraphobia!" Ishie realized.

"Oh, don't worry. He brought his box." Asia reassured her.

Ishie let out a sigh of relief.

"That's good. Now, good night everyone." Ishie yawned.

She hugged Rassei close and began drifting off.

"Oh wait! Ishie, you should know Xenovia has a very horrible-" Irina remembered.

She was too late, as Ishie was already unconscious.

"Sleeping posture..." She finished, a defeated tone in her voice.

The others quickly fell asleep with her. After that, the night would be uneventful... besides Asia accidentally being caught in Xenovia's legs midway through the night.

* * *

Inside of Gasper's room, the young Vampire could be seen in his box... via his eyes emitting a red glow, as he played on his game console. Strangely, he was laughing.

"This place is awesome!" He exclaimed.

"I know, it really is!" Millarca agreed.

Hearing that, Gasper suddenly jumped. Upon exiting his box, he saw Millarca had fallen on the floor, likely having been sitting on one of the box's corners without his notice.

"Oh, Millarca!" He said in relief.

She let out a playful laugh as she sat down on her butt.

"Yeah, I kind of walked into that one." Millarca admitted.

"You really haven't changed in all this time, have you?" Gasper replied, smiling with relief.

She giggled in response.

"As if I ever would? That life as a stuffy racist Vampire was nothing but sheer torture." Millarca stated, showing annoyance as she recalled it.

She then showed a look of guilt.

"Besides... I made a promise that I would escape and find you one day, no matter what it took." She added, her voice getting lower.

"Millarca?" Gasper replied, looking worried.

Tears began to escape her eyes as she began crying.

"I... I should have been able to go with you! After you got away, I was able to hear everything, including that you would have been dead if Rias hadn't found you. How in a way that you wanted to die, and you didn't have me there to comfort you and say everything was going to be OK!" Millarca cried.

Gasper just stared at her, starting to feel a little sad himself. Despite what other Vampires thought, Millarca had always accepted Gasper, as just like he lost her mother? Her own father was killed when she was only 3.

The reason Gasper had even gotten out of Romania was because she himself helped him escape. Back then, she was too afraid that escaping together would cause both to be caught, and realized too late that she could have followed him. Been there with him, regardless if still a Vampire or a Devil under Rias' peerage.

"You don't know how scary it was when I joined Vali, knowing he could kill me at any time, and yet... I still took the risk, so I could keep my promise to you." She sniffled.

"Millarca..." Gasper replied, starting to tear up.

The two best friends hugged each other, crying a waterfall of tears as they let out all the feelings they had been holding in.

* * *

In another location, Great Red was channeling his dragon energies while Le Fay and Elaine formed multiple magic circles around him.

After channeling their magic for a while, a large magic circle appeared underneath him.

"The Dragon Gate has been completed. Now all we need to do is wait, and your mother will be able to escape from Asgard without any issues." Elaine stated.

"Good job." Vali said with a wide smirk.

Great Red moved away, leaving the magic circle empty until a bright light formed in the middle, showing a female silhouette.

The person inside was shown to be a woman with the same hair and eye color as Vali, wearing what looked to be a mix of a dress worn by the female Nordic Gods and a robe worn by priestesses of the church and female Angels.

"Honestly, I'm shocked that it took more than one day to get me out of there." Sophia remarked.

Le Fay gave out a nervous chuckle, a blush formed on her face.

"We... got kind of distracted because one of our teammates was a mole and used us to interfere with our attack on the summit." She admitted.

Sophia stared at her before slowly looking towards her son.

"I... have no comment to make." Vali replied, unable to look her in the eye.

"Well, will you have one when I tell you that a certain Valkyrie likely caught me leaving, and therefore your father will likely discover we've both betrayed him?" She inquired.

Vali paused at that.

"Fuck..." He breathed.

"Who cares if they meet with, or even join with the Alliance, after all... we already have a Norse God that's willing to help us." Great Red replied.

This caught Vali and Sophia's attention.

"Sorry, but I can't say. Otherwise I'll spoil things for our audience." He replied.

Everyone looked at him in confusion, then at each other. While they were briefly looking at each other, Great Red held up a sign, saying a chilling four words.

**I can see you.**

* * *

Morning quickly came, and everyone was currently outside in their Kuoh gym outfits, with Millarca borrowing one of Kiba's spare track suits and Yumi one of Asia's. Speaking of Yumi, she was quick to notice how Gasper was wearing the girl's uniform right now.

"I probably should have asked this earlier, but... why does Gasper only wear girls' clothes?" Yumi inquired, unable to stop thinking about it.

"Eh..." Millarca replied.

She began to whistle, getting everyone's attention as she began to sweat.

"Millarca, what did you do?" Rias questioned, focusing her gaze towards her.

"I... may have had him wear a bunch of dresses when I was younger... to a point where he eventually found himself more comfortable in them." Millarca mentioned.

Rias simply stared at her, unable to believe what she just heard.

"And the funny part? I ended up preferring boyish clothes sometime after that, hence why I chose this track suit. How's that for irony?" She added.

Ishie took a deep breath in response.

"I will now act like I never heard that until it hopefully becomes the truth." She replied, forcing a smile.

At that very moment, Lilith appeared from a magic circle.

"Looks like everyone's here. So, are all of you ready?" She asked.

Everyone was about to reply, but...

"Good, because I have a 3 Human week regimen that will whip you all into shape, with Ishie's being particularly special." Lilith stated before they could.

"Three weeks!?" Irina exclaimed.

"Why is mine special?" Ishie asked.

Lilith answered by pointing to the sky, causing everyone to look up as a Dragon with blue scales landed before them.

**("Tiamat, is that you?")** Albion said in surprise.

"Who?" Ishie asked.

**("She's one of the Five Dragon Kings, a group of Dragons ranked between the Heavenly Dragons and the average Dragon.")** Albion answered.

Lilith nodded while Ishie's eyes widened.

"That's right, and she'll be your sensei for the first 10 days of your training." Lilith revealed.

"When I heard Ddraig sided with terrorists, I insisted on training you." Tiamat answered.

Ishie tilted her head in confusion.

**("Tiamat has hated Ddraig ever since he borrowed a treasure for one of our battles, but then broke it and never bothered to replace it. Her choosing to train one of my hosts to beat him up is a fair reason isn't too surprising.")** Albion explained.

"Wow... I am seriously starting to believe Ddraig's your evil counterpart at this point." Ishie remarked, a deadpan look on her face.

"I'm of the same thoughts myself. If he wasn't trapped in the Boosted Gear right now, then I'd kill him myself." Tiamat replied.

Lilith cleared her throat, getting her granddaughter's attention.

"Anyways, your primary goal is to unlock your Balance Breaker, and if not... well, hopefully it gets you on the right track to unlocking it." Lilith stated.

Ishie's expression became serious after hearing that.

"You're right. If I don't have it by the next time I encounter Vali, then there's no way I can beat him. Not when my Divide still has a time limit." She realized.

She suddenly screamed as Tiamat grabbed her by her shirt collar.

"Then let's not waste any more time and get started." Tiamat suggested.

Ishie felt herself tossed onto the Dragon's back before she took off, making her scream as she nearly fell off.

"OK, now I'm suddenly worried about my granddaughter's well-being..." Lilith remarked, feeling herself sweat.

She turned to the rest of the Occult Research Club.

"Now, for the rest of you, here's what I want all of you to do for your training regimens." She continued.

Everyone listened as they learned of their training plans.

* * *

Time flew by as the three weeks passed in the blink of an eye. During this time, Ishie finished her 10 days with Tiamat before taking a day of rest, and then finishing the rest of it under her mom.

Finally, the last day of training arrived, with Ishie and Rizevia currently outside as the first few starts marked the arrival of the afternoon.

"OK, that's a rap! Your training's over!" Rizevia announced, clapping her hands.

Her daughter let out a sigh of relief as her legs slid apart, letting her sit down.

"Finally. So, now that it's over, where would you say my powers rank compared to before the training began?" Ishie inquired.

"Hmm... I'd say around where you could beat Riser's one attack like you did before, but at your weakest level." Rizevia replied.

Ishie smiled at that.

Not long after saying that, Rizevia noticed a familiar trio heading their way.

"Oh, looks like the others are starting to arrive." She remarked.

Her daughter turned around to see Irina, Xenovia, and Kiba all walk into view. While the former two looked the same, Xenovia's hair had grown to shoulder length during the 3 weeks that had passed.

Strangely enough, Xenovia was only one to be covered in bandages, having them wrapped around her forehead, wrists, and knees. Rizevia actually looked surprised by all of the apparent wounds she had gathered with how few Irina and Kiba possessed.

"Hey guys!" Ishie shouted, waving her hands.

"Hey there Ishie!" Irina replied, returning the wave.

Rizevia soon walked up to Xenovia, saying nothing as she motioned to where she had bandages with just confused/worried expressions.

"Oh, these? I kept injuring myself due to the struggles of adapting my swordplay. I apparently rely too much on pure power." She answered.

While Ishie was training under her mother, Rizevia told her about the others' training regimens.

For Irina, Kiba, and Xenovia? They all received training (or re-training in Kiba's case) from Sirzechs' only Knight, who was none other than Souji Okita, the former 1st captain of the Shinsengumi.

It seemed that Xenovia had a tougher time among the three of them, as she lacked proper sword technique and was initially just slashing wildly.

"Considering that Durandal is only tamed by the wielder's sheer will? Now it makes sense why it didn't always listen to you." Rizevia remarked.

"Ouch..." Xenovia replied, feeling the sting of her honesty.

Next to make a reappearance was Asia, with her arrival being met with everyone's eyes going white.

Not that anyone could blame them, as for some unexplained reason? Her hair was like that of Rapunzel's.

"Hey everyone!" Asia smiled.

"Sis, what happened to your hair!?" Ishie exclaimed, pointing at her.

Asia gave an awkward laugh in response.

"I... think my attempts to strengthen my aura and control of it while using my Twilight Healing may have worked a little too well on my roots." She replied, an embarrassed blush on her face.

Since Asia was mainly a healer, her training was to strengthen her aura, using a mixture of learning magic and casting it on/around herself.

The results were enough that she was the first member of the Occult Research Club to master their Sacred Gear.

"Well, I did suggest you might want to change your hairstyle a few months back. Guess this is a good time do that." Ishie mentioned.

Next to arrive was Millarca and Gasper, the latter of which was currently inside his closed box, taking deep breathes as he tried to relax.

"Did Gasper make it through alright?" Irina asked worriedly.

"The good news? Yes, he did. The bad news? All of the panic attacks he held back are hitting him at once, so... no one try to open his box for a while." Millarca replied.

"Stares... all those stares... make them stop..." Gasper muttered, right before he resumed his deep breaths.

Millarca didn't undergo any training, as Lilith realized she was plenty strong already, and instead asked her to join Gasper in going into public. The training was meant to help him reduce his timidity, which was the biggest thing holding him back.

Unfortunately, his current stack of panic attacks made it hard to know how much progress he made, if he made any at all.

"Guess both of us got marked by our training." Yumi mentioned.

Everyone turned to see Yumi walk in, covered with a bunch of stains that carried the scent of fruits on them.

"You overdid it with firing your arrows, didn't you?" Rizevia realized.

"Eh... maybe a little bit." She admitted.

Yumi's training was to figure out how her Sacred Gear worked, discovering it had advantages for both day and night. It took her a while to realize firing arrows fast did little to help her if she couldn't concentrate and keep calm while she was firing them.

"On the bright side, you smell nice." Millarca replied.

"Considering how difficult it is to bathe in a lake without cleaning products? It was a blessing in disguise." Yumi agreed.

Rizevia sniffed the air as she heard that, quickly pinching her nose as a bad odor entered it.

"Oh yeah. Once everyone gets here, all of you are getting in the shower immediately!" She announced, nearly gagging.

"What about Murayama and Katase?" Ishie asked.

Rizevia paused at that, remembering their training fit how they had to return to the human world every evening, and therefore had access to showering every day.

"OK, _almost_ all of you." She corrected.

Speaking of the duo, they walked into view as Rizevia said that, leaving them confused.

"Uh... did we miss something?" Katase asked.

"No, but cover your noses." Ishie replied.

"Why should we cover-" Murayama inquired.

Both of them suddenly felt the smell of everyone's body odors hit their noses, making them nearly gag.

"Never mind!" Her muffled voice shouted.

Katase and Murayama's training had been simpler than the others. They had wanted to learn about magic for a while, and Lilith had them practice some beginner level spells at home to get them started on it.

Next to show up was Akeno and Rias, the former in a damaged shrine maiden outfit and the latter in a damaged red track suit.

"It looks like everyone's training paid off." Rias smiled.

"Yeah, especially yours. That's a lot of battle damage." Millarca stated.

Since Akeno had already mastered her Devil powers and Fallen Angel heritage, the only area she could really train in was the shrine maiden abilities of the Himejima Clan that came from her mother's side. As such, Lilith found a reincarnated Devil who used to be a shrine maiden to teach her where her mother couldn't.

As for Rias, her training was one of the toughest among the Occult Research Club's members, as she had to both study both books and recordings about Rating Games, which her mother than tested her on. If she failed, then she'd have to fight her mom, and then lose at different speeds. When she wasn't doing that, Sirzechs or Grayfia trained her.

"My, look at how you've grown Ishie." Akeno remarked, smiling as she did.

Ishie blushed at that, rubbing her cheek slightly. Over the last three weeks, her Lucifer heritage had settled in completely, which she called her _true appearance_. The changes manifested as her skin color now matched that of most Devils, and her figure getting slightly closer to her mother's and grandma's. Her hair was more half and half, as it had gotten naturally longer over three weeks, though was now silkier and straighter than before, losing its rogue strands and making her look a lot more like a princess.

Her training was around the same level as Rias' had been. Tiamat had truly pushed her to the limit in developing her powers with the Divine Dividing, and after her day of rest, Rizevia had taught her how to use the original Devil ability originally wielded by her grandfather. She even learned more ways to use her Longinus by learning how to fully wield the Lucifer Clan's signature ability.

"Wait until you see what I can do now, if only because my mom would likely get mad if I tried doing it at this very moment." She replied.

"I can verify that very thought." Rizevia remarked.

She then looked at everyone, which caused her to see there was still someone missing.

"Hey, where's Koneko?" She asked.

"She's over here." Lilith answered.

Everyone turned to see Lilith carrying an unconscious Koneko in her arms, making their eyes widen.

"Oh god, is she OK!?" Irina exclaimed worriedly.

"The good news? She's fine. The bad news? Her training did not go well, despite its nature." Lilith answered.

Before anyone could say anything, Lilith held up a finger.

"Let's get her inside first, and _then_ you can start asking me questions." She suggested.

Everyone quickly nodded in agreement.

* * *

Rias wiped a damp cloth over Koneko's forehead, a worried look on her face.

The same was true for the rest of the Occult Research Club as they looked at their unconscious friend, which was when Rizevia finally looked at her mother for answers.

"Alright, so what exactly happened to Koneko?" She asked.

"From what I can gather, she was in the middle of meditating when she suddenly had a panic attack. The stress of which eventually knocked her out." Lilith explained.

That answer shocked everyone, though not everyone was surprised in the same way.

"Wait... she just had a panic attack while meditating? How did that lead us to this?" Katase asked.

"Remember, Koneko is a Youkai, who are more connected to spiritual energies than most races are. Having something like this happen during meditation is a lot more serious to her than it would be for most species." Akeno explained.

Katase and Murayama both paled at that, now realizing why this was such a concern.

"How would she have had a panic attack though?" Ishie asked, scratching her head.

"The only explanation is some kind of tormenting memory or worry was going through her mind that overwhelmed all her senses." Lilith answered.

Rias let out a silent gasp as she heard that.

"Luckily, I don't see any signs of serious or lasting damage, so she likely just needs a little rest." Lilith reassured everyone.

All of the ORC let out sighs of relief.

"That's good to hear." Ishie smiled.

"And I'm 99% certain that she'll be back on her feet in time for the Young Devil's Gathering, so all of you prepare for that while I watch over her. I owe her that much since it happened as a result of my training regimen for her." Lilith replied.

Ishie gasped at that, remembering it required formal wear, which she didn't have. Noticing her daughter's reaction, Rizevia tapped her shoulder as she coughed into her hand.

"I already took care of getting you a formal outfit. Since your measurements are close to hers, I asked Ingvild if she would mind lending you one of her dresses, and she told me you could keep this one." Rizevia revealed, holding her hands up.

A magic circle appeared as Ishie saw a simple white gown with slides on the sides, held together by dark burgundy strings, and a dark blue rim with gold lining and a pattern of big and small gold diamond circling it.

It also came with matching gloves that went past her elbows, with cuffs matching her gown's lining, with the gold on the bottom and top, and the diamonds replaced by just a single X marking. There was also a skirt and stockings that had the same color scheme, with the skirt's ruffles divided by gold lining, and the stockings going above her knees.

"Wow!" Ishie exclaimed, her eyes sparkling at her new outfit.

'Note to self, buy Ingvild a present as a thank you.' Rizevia thought, smiling at her daughter's reaction.

She gave the outfit to Ishie, who quickly ran off to put it on, which prompted everyone else to get dressed.

* * *

After a few hours passed by, the Young Devil's Gathering had begun.

Millarca looked around as she saw the hundreds of pureblooded Devils who were at High School age like Rias and Ishie, noticing some who had Elf-like ears, and others who had darker or even unique skin tones.

"Wow, this isn't that different from the parties I've attended back in Romania, aside from being less stuffy." She admitted.

"It's kind of ironic you say that when you're wearing a suit like the rest of guys." Kiba remarked.

Like Kiba just said, almost every male devil inside the room was wearing some kind of variation of the common dress suit. Ironically enough, this was Millarca was wearing as well, currently in a burgundy suit due to her preference for male clothing.

"You do realize that Gaspy's wearing a dress, right?" Millarca reminded him, motioning to her best friend.

Kiba looked to see the obvious dress Gasper had chosen to wear, making him let out an awkward laugh.

"Hey guys!" Saji greeted.

Everyone turned to see Saji and Ruruko walk into view. Ruruko was seen wearing a purple dress, with her pigtails having been replaced by a small braid that was hung over her right shoulder.

"Hey Saji, Ruruko." Kiba greeted.

"Does that mean Sona and the rest of your peerage are here?" Millarca asked.

"Not yet, but they should be arriving any moment now." Ruruko answered.

Saji tried to look around for Ishie, interested in telling her how he trained under the Devil Dragon known as Tannin, but he didn't see her anywhere.

"Where's Ishie at?" He inquired.

"In whatever is this place's equivalent to a backstage. After all, they are revealing who she's related to." Millarca answered.

"Oh right, I keep forgetting that." Saji replied, still not used to Ishie being a Lucifer.

Sirzechs and Serafall were talking with their fellow Devil Kings were talking when a Devil soldier walked into view and saluted, which quickly caught their attention.

"I am here to tell you Baraqiel, Michael, and Lord Odin have all arrived." The soldier revealed.

"Understood, bring them in and alert the Council that we're ready to begin." Sirzechs replied.

The soldier nodded and returned to where they came from. Not long after he left, everyone in the room heard the sound of a glass being tapped, causing them to look at the Devil Kings without delay.

"Everyone, we are gathered here for a momentous occasion. After years of fighting, the Devils, Angels, and Fallen Angels have decided to learn from the mistakes of our past and look to the future. Today, we mark the public declaration of our newfound alliance." Sirzechs announced.

All the Devils began clapping in response.

During this applause, the arrival of Michael and Baraqiel was noticed as they walked into view, with each of them having a single person as their entourage. For Baraqiel, it was some boy with a black dog by his side. For Michael, it was none other than Lint, who the church trio quickly noticed.

"Look, it's Lint!" Xenovia said with a whisper.

"Hey, over here!" Irina whispered, waving a hand so she could notice them.

Lint heard Irina call, noticing her by the orange dress she was wearing, which looked like a night if it was remade into formal attire. She rose her hand, smiling at her friends as she waved back.

"It is an honor to stand here today, knowing the Devils before me are no longer enemies of Angels or Heaven." Michael smiled.

"I myself have just succeeded Azazel as leader of Grigori. As the leader of the era marked by the Three Great Powers making peace, I shall do my best to lead the Fallen Angels to a better future alongside the Angels and Devils." Baraqiel promised.

Everyone clapped once again, though Akeno went understandably silent at the presence of her father, causing Rias to put a hand on her back.

It helped, though only a little bit.

"However, that isn't the only grand news we have to share. During the summit, a threat known as the Khaos Brigade, comprised of those among our kind who refuse to accept this peace like the Old Satan Faction, attacked us under the leadership of the current Red Dragon Emperor." Sirzechs continued.

Many Devils suddenly made sounds of worry about the revelation.

"Despite this, our current Hero of the Underworld, the current White Dragon Emperor we know as the Bishop of my younger sister, Ishie Hyoudou, stood against her rival even though she had little chance of winning. In the end, the Khaos Brigade fled with no true victory, especially when the battle unveiled their greatest defeat." He smiled.

He turned slightly, motioning his left hand behind him.

"Everyone, I am proud to announce that as of today, we can finally announce the start of the Seven Satan system... for we have finally found the granddaughter of Lucifer!" Sirzechs revealed.

Such a revelation caused every Devil, aside from the few who already knew, to gasp in near disbelief.

With that, a magic circle appeared to reveal the Heir of Lucifer to the crowd. Needless to say, the sight of Ishie appearing caused mass confusion, with everyone showing no reaction beyond raised eyes.

"Hello there everyone. Up until now, all of you have known me as Ishie Hyoudou, the Bishop of Rias Gremory and Hero of the Underworld. For the longer time, I only knew me as both of those myself, completely hidden from a truth that I only discovered fighting the Red Dragon Emperor. For all of you still questioning Sirzechs' claim..." Ishie stated.

She unfolded her wings, allowing the crowd to see all eight, before she held out her hand to reveal a magic circle with the Lucifer crest.

"This is the proof of my heritage that I too have discovered. The proof that I am none other than the granddaughter of the original Devil King, that my true name... is Ishie Lucifer, both the Hero _and_ the Princess of the Underworld!" She revealed.

No one said anything at first, but then... someone began to clap, causing everyone to quickly follow as cheers filled the room.

Although, one Devil who seemed to always have his eyes closed wasn't doing either, and stared at her with a strange expression.

"Since we have no further announcements, let us officially begin!" Ishie declared.

With those words, the Young Devils' Gathering had truly begun.

* * *

Outside of building, Vali and Bikou were sitting in the nearby forest, with the latter using his hearing as a Monkey Youkai to get an insight to what was going on.

"Well, well. It looks like they just announced who your rival's grandpa is." Bikou smirked.

"It may have angered me at first, but now that I've had time to think about it? Taking down the granddaughter of the man responsible for sinking three continents is a truly worthy opponent for me to destroy." Vali replied.

He then pulled two slips of paper out of his pocket, both of which were marked with a Norse magic circle.

"Unfortunately, such a battle is too one-sided as of right now, so why don't we change that?" He suggested.

Bikou looked at the papers with interest.

"Ooh, is that your mother's work or your own?" He inquired, noticing the aura each circle was emitting.

"Let's just say that I had some strong connections. That way, it's more of a surprise." Vali replied.

He threw both papers into the air.

Bikou watched excitedly as they descended towards the ground, but before they made contact...

*"MEOW!"*

A black cat resembling Shiro, only with sharper cat pupils than Shiro's cute ones, jumped up and caught both of them in her mouth. Vali and Bikou's eyes widen as the cat turned around, wiggling its tail like she was giving them a raspberry.

"Get that cat!" Bikou announced.

The cat ran off, causing the two to chase after them with speed that should have clearly let them catch her. Unfortunately, the cat simply turned around the tree, and both of them followed... only to see the black cat had already disappeared without a trace.

"Oh, come on!" He screamed.

Vali let out a growl of annoyance, then formed a magic circle.

"Arthur, I'm in need of Fenrir's assistance." He angrily requested.

* * *

Back inside, Ishie let out a sigh of relief as she went to join her friends on the main floor, passing by a few adults as she did.

"That was a great speech Princess Ishie." One man praised.

"We're all expecting great things of you." Another encouraged.

Ishie politely waved to both of them, feeling a little bashful over the attention she wasn't used to.

"You did well up there." Sona praised.

Ishie turned to see her and the rest of her peerage arrive. Aside from Sona, all of her peerage (including Ruruko) was wearing the same outfit as Tsubaki, who were the only ones who whose dresses didn't match their respective hair colors among the Sitri Team.

"Oh, hey Sona, and thank you." Ishie smiled.

"Considering you trained under Tiamat, it's no surprise you nailed it." Saji praised, holding out his fist.

Ishie giggled as she gave it a fist bump.

"So, what kind of training did you go through?" She inquired.

"Same as you. More specifically, I trained under Meteor Blaze Tannin, the Dragon your grandma intended to train you. He's standing by the balcony if you'd like to meet him." He answered, pointing to said balcony.

"I will, it's only polite I meet a fellow Dragon... and he can probably answer all the questions Tiamat kept dodging." Ishie replied.

The two let out a shared giggle in response to that.

"Ah, found you!" Someone stated.

Everyone turned as they saw a male Devil run towards the group, being one of the few who wasn't wearing a suit, instead wearing what was his usual attire that was close enough to resembling formal wear that he could still wear it here.

For how this Devil himself looked? He had green hair that went a little past shoulder length, with light blue eyes. His said outfit was a green uniform with white sleeves, not unlike those you would see being worn by an adventurer mage from a guild in modern media with black details across it, faded blue jean shorts, and a pair of brown boots.

"Oh, uh... hi there. You name would be...?" Ishie replied, caught a little off-guard.

"Whoops, I'm guessing Ingvild and Sylvie didn't mention any of us?" He realized.

Ishie's eyes widened.

"Wait, so you're a-" Ishie realized, pointing at him.

The boy hit his fist against his chest two times.

"Allow me to properly introduce myself, my name is Eyleah Beelzebub, heir to the obvious." Eyleah revealed.

He then held out his hand, prompting Ishie to take it for a handshake.

Right as they finished their handshake, Ingvild walked into view, revealing she was wearing a dress looked similar to a fusion between Rias and Sona's current attire.

"I see you and Eyleah have finally met." She remarked.

"That we have. So, I'm guessing the other Satan heirs are all somewhere nearby?" Ishie assumed.

"Well, not all of us. Sylvie, along with the heirs to the Mammon and Belphegor Clans, are still preoccupied with other things before they can come, if at all. Luckily, the heir of the Asmodeus Clan is already heading towards the other room the other Young Devils are gathering." Ingvild answered.

Ishie let out an awkward laugh in response to that.

"Hey, can one of you let my friends know I'll meet them there? I'd like to talk with Tannin as Saji suggested." She requested.

"Of course. I'll go let them know, and Eyleah can make sure you make it there." Ingvild offered.

"I... doubt that I'm going to get lost." Ishie replied, feeling a sweat drop slide down her left cheek.

Eyleah playfully rolled his eyes at the Leviathan Heiress before she walked out of the room, followed by shifting her attention to Ishie as she walked to the balcony.

Once she got there, Ishie showed some surprise at the purple Dragon, who was the first Dragon she ever saw to be truly bipedal.

"Greetings Ishie, I was hoping we'd have a chance to properly meet." Tannin greeted.

"It's nice to meet you too." She replied, giving a curtsy in reply.

**("You look good for a Dragon who became a Devil.")** Albion praised.

Ishie's eyes widened somewhat, while Tannin let out a slight chuckle.

"Quite the ironic statement considering your current partner is the granddaughter of the Devil King." Tannin replied.

"Hold on, did Albion just say you're a Devil!?" Ishie questioned.

Tannin replied by lightning nodding his head.

"I'm sure that Tiamat never bothered to answer your questions about why there are so many Dragons here, correct?" He assumed.

Ishie blushed in embarrassment, rubbing her cheek slightly.

"Unfortunately, the story's not exactly pleasant. For some Dragons, a special fruit known as a Dragon Apple is a required part of their diet, but at the time before I chose to become a Devil... changes in the climate left them unable to grow anywhere besides the Underworld." Tannin explained.

She gasped at that.

"My kind nearly went extinct until I chose our survival above all else, and threw away my pride as a Dragon to become a Devil under Mephisto Pheles, working my way to an Ultimate-Class Devil, then made that land my own for the Dragons." He revealed.

**("Just to state what kind of pride he lost? There used to be six Dragon Kings, with Tannin being that former sixth.")** Albion revealed.

"Whoa... to make all those sacrifices for the sake of your own kind? You're like a hero to all Dragons!" Ishie praised.

Tannin chuckled as he crossed his arms.

"Each race seeks to survive, even one as powerful as the Dragons, and it's up to those with power to help those without it. That's why, as the one who will eventually lead the Devils to a new future... you need to decide what your ultimate goal is." He replied.

"My ultimate goal?" Ishie repeated.

"Being the hero of the Underworld is definitely something to be proud of, but that shouldn't be where you limit your reach. It should be what takes you to towards the end of the path you've chosen as your own." Tannin wisely advised.

Hearing that, Ishie was left to really think about what had happened since she had begun walking the path as a Devil.

'All this time... I've just followed the motions. I haven't really made a goal for myself, letting my daydreams take full priority beyond everything else. The problem with that is some of them have become a reality with the discovery of who I am. There's no way I'll be able to keep going like this, not unless I can find a dream to fight for.' She realized.

She held a hand to her chest, then let out a deep breath, looking at Tannin.

"Thanks for your advice. It's made me think about something that I hadn't before now, and need to answer sooner than later." Ishie smiled.

"No need to thank me, just make sure to work hard from here on out." He replied.

Ishie nodded before she left to join her friends and the other Young Devils, with Eyleah quickly following.

At that same moment, Tannin heard a loud crashing sound, and turned to the source... only to find none.

* * *

Walking down the hall, a worried Rias and Sona could be seen as the Student Council and Occult Research Club followed them, having an idea of what to expect.

"I hope we won't be in the waiting room for too long." Sona remarked.

"With a bunch of hormonal young Devils stuffed into one room together? We'll be lucky if we get out alive." Rias sighed.

And once she said that?

*"BOOM! BANG! CRASH!"*

The door suddenly blew open, causing everyone to run over and see what was going on.

"If you've got a death wish, then I'm happy to fill it, Zephyrdor!" Seekvaira threatened.

"Filling is my job!" Zephyrdor replied with a smirk.

Ingvild face palmed at the sight, right as Ishie and Eyleah finally caught up and saw what was going on.

"Huh? What happened here?" Ishie asked.

"Zephyrdor happened... again." Ingvild answered.

Ishie had no idea what she meant, while Eyleah suddenly felt his eyes go deadpan at the delinquent Devil, then motioned Ishie's head to look at the red-skinned punker.

"That's the Glasya-Labolas heir... he's a real troublemaker." He explained.

"And he's right on cue for starting trouble, almost like it's tradition." Rias added.

Just as it looked like things were about to get worse, a female Devil with chest-length black hair tied into a partial ponytail that left a lot of her hair flowing across her back and over her shoulders onto her gifted bosom walked into view. She was wearing a sleeves purple and pink dress and white gloves, with a white rose pinned on its left side.

"Enough, don't dishonor the Glasya-Labolas Clan or Satan Falbium by being such a problem child." She warned.

"Screw you Lunurai! Not even you get to talk to me like that!" He shouted.

"Quite a bold thing to say to the heir of the Asmodeus Clan, now behave yourself, or I'll be forced to make you behave." Lunurai said, glaring at him.

Ishie's eyes widened, realizing this girl was the Asmodeus heir.

However, Zephyrdor simply scoffed at Lunurai, not even slightly afraid of her threat.

"I'd like to see you try, bitch!" Zephyrdor retorted, preparing to throw a punch at her.

Lunurai closed her eyes and held out her left hand.

His fist struck it, only for a condensed purple energy to knock his hand back without even touching her palm. Ishie's eyes widened at this before Lunurai pulled her hand back.

**"Compression!"**

Everyone by the door moved out of the way as he was launched into the wall, leaving a crater as he passed out.

Asia was nearly knocked over, only to be caught by someone before she fell.

"You alright?" He asked.

Turning around, Asia saw her savior was a male Devil with black hair and purple eyes, possessing a muscular figure only somewhat hidden his outfit.

Ishie and Rias turned to look at him, with the latter smiling.

"Hello Sairaorg. It's been a while, hasn't it?" Rias greeted.

"The Devil Council will be here any moment now, so I'll give a warmer welcome later." Sairaorg replied.

Sairaorg walked inside, making Ishie look at Rias.

"Who was that?" Ishie asked.

"That's my cousin, Sairaorg Bael. He's both the heir to the Bael Clan, and at the moment, the strongest among the Young Devils." Rias answered.

Ishie's eyes widened.

'Rias told me about the Rookies 4 before, but only told me about herself, Sona, and the Agares heir. Now I know why she didn't tell me.' She realized, looking at Sairaorg once more.

After letting that thought sink in, she noticed what Sairaorg said.

"Oh, wait a second. What's this about the Devil Council arriving?" She asked herself.

"Simple, every Devil with a peerage is going to be stating what their wish is, and for a reason I'm certain will only be unveiled once everyone does." Lunurai answered, walking towards Ishie.

She then held up a hand, giving her a proper greeting.

"I believe you've already realized who I am, but it's still only proper I give our Devil Princess a direct greeting." She smiled.

"Oh, thank you." Ishie replied, doing the same.

Once that was finished, Rias walked up to Ishie.

"Another way to define what Lunurai said? Just as you'll be leading us one day, all of us in the 72 Pillars will one day be leading our own Clans to support the Underworld that you'll be inheriting from the current Satans after they finally step down from their positions." Rias explained.

"In other words, they want to get an idea on what everyone wants to do, just in case certain ideas seem bad or could be expanded on." Ishie realized.

"Exactly." Rias confirmed.

"The exceptions being us Satan heirs, who are simply aiding the council in what ideas to make. Remember, strength is important in the world of Devils, so if we show support or disinterest to an idea..." Lunurai added.

Ishie gasped, realizing the secondary reason behind having the Council hear out everyone's dreams.

Because she was a Lucifer, she could help influence the ideas they were struggling to support or deny just by saying if she thought it was good or bad, though even she wasn't aware of a secondary reason behind this.

'Mom did tell me that I'd be getting involved in Devil politics eventually, but I didn't think it would happen so soon...' She thought, feeling nervous.

Right as she finished those thoughts, someone walked behind her.

"White Dragon Emperor, it's been a while." A female voice remarked.

Turning around, Ishie showed some surprise as she saw none other than Ravel Phenex standing before her, with her current attire making her see how gifted of a figure she actually had when compared to her previous outfits.

"Hey, I remember you! You're Riser's sister! Your name was, uh... Ravel Phenex, right?" Ishie replied.

"Did you really imply you didn't remember my name after saying you remembered me? She retorted.

Ishie blushed in embarrassment.

Rias watched them talk, trying not to laugh at Ishie's awkward tone.

"So, uh... how has your brother been doing since the game?" She asked.

"Well, he brooded over his loss for a few days, and then our parents told him the truth behind why he and Rias were ever engaged. After that, he became depressed for a full 3 months, though at least it was healthier than losing Rias and claiming he was afraid of you." Ravel answered.

Ishie flinched at that.

'Either she's trying to make me feel bad, or she's using this chance to insult her brother.' She wondered, sweating a little.

"However, that all changed when a few days ago, Sirzechs allowed my family to be one of the few to know about your true heritage in advance. Learning he had actually lost to a Lucifer woke him up from that depression and ultimately humbled him for the better." Ravel finished.

"Oh, well then... your welcome?" Ishie replied.

However, having mentioned her brother enough, Ishie quickly noticed that Ravel wasn't with Riser or his peerage.

"Is your brother somewhere else right now? It seems odd when most peerages are together." She asked.

Ravel raised an eye at her response.

"You mean Rias never told you?" She asked.

"Never told me what? Rias, what is she talking about?" Ishie asked, feeling confused.

She let out a giggle at Ishie's current expression.

"I've been trying to find the right time to say this, but I guess now's as good a time as any." Rias replied.

Rias motioned a hand towards Ravel.

"As of the day I left early... Ravel has become my second Bishop." She revealed.

"Wait, what!?" Ishie exclaimed.

She slapped her cheeks to focus her mind.

"How is that possible? I thought you couldn't remove an Evil Piece after you bonded to it, and that you were stuck with the peerage of the one who reincarnated you?" Ishie asked.

"I'm assuming by those words that you don't know about Trades, correct?" Ravel inquired.

"No, but going by how I usually hear that term, I'm guessing you can trade pieces?" Ishie assumed.

Ravel nodded her head.

"If two Kings wish to exchange servants, or a servant for an unused piece, they can use a magic circle to switch the ownership between the two Evil Pieces." She explained.

"Once Riser heard the news? He felt the need to thank you, but also apologize to me as he started over from square one, and offered to make Ravel a part of my peerage." Rias added.

Ishie's eyes widened, knowing why that was such a big decision.

Ravel was the tactician of Riser's peerage, meaning that he gave away one of his strongest assets to Rias, who he originally looked down on for having an incomplete peerage.

'Wow, I guess despite all his hot air... Riser's really not that bad a guy.' Ishie thought, smiling as she gained new respect for him.

Ravel soon turned away nervously, holding out a capsule container to Ishie.

"Anyways, I also have a present to pass onto you from me and my brother, so... here!" She replied, blushing in embarrassment.

"Oh, thank you." Ishie replied, accepting it.

She opened it to see it held a single Phoenix Tear inside.

"Are you sure it's OK to have this?" She asked.

"Well of course! That's normally a gift for a High-Class Devil, and you Lady Lucifer, are the Princess of our entire race! It would be an insult for you to not be given a gift of this value." Ravel stated.

"Uh... alright, if you say so. Also, we're friends now, aren't we? So, why don't you actually call me by my name?" Ishie replied.

Ravel blushed at that, starting to twiddle her fingers.

"If you insist, then... I shall call you by name from now on, Princess Ishie." She replied.

'Is it just me, or this her real personality?' Ishie wondered, feeling awkward.

At that moment, the lights began to dim, causing a large magic circle to bring in a large stand. Smaller magic circles followed, revealing the members of the Devil Council, including Zekram Bael himself.

"Alright, let us begin." Zekram stated.

* * *

**That's it for this chapter, and what a big chapter it was! Aside from Great Red's one-time moment of breaking the fourth wall (since I think he could do this if he had more interest in the world), we've finally met the Beelzebub and Asmodeus heirs, with the latter already having given a hint to her power, though anyone who's read Shin V3 might already know.**

**You'll see the Mammon and Belphegor heirs later, as I felt like introducing them right off the bat wasn't a good idea for what comes next, since having all 7 Satan heirs in one place from the start would make things too one-sided on our heroes' side. Likewise, there were a few scenes I removed due to how I split the chapter (namely some scenes showing everyone's training), but you'll see them later on via flashbacks.**

**Also, surprise! I've given Rias her first new peerage member, her second Bishop, and it's none other than Ravel! My reason for this is that she wanted to be part of Issei's peerage in canon. However, since Ishie has no interest in getting one herself, the best way to represent that here was for Riser to trade Ravel to Rias' peerage. It also doubles as a way for Riser to apologize to Rias, since he's since learned the truth.**

**Until next time everyone, and stay awesome! ^^**


	17. Tragedy of Black

**Welcome back everyone! I'm excited to finally post the first Daydreamer Dragon chapter of 2020, albeit I do feel that the (in-story) timing is ironic, due to how the last chapter posted around New Years, and at a point in the story where the Young Devils were about to share their dreams. After all, said dreams are, in a sense, not unlike New Year Resolutions, aren't they?**

**Getting to the actual start notes, the first major thing I'll bring up is that I'll be skipping most of the talk of everyone's dreams, for 3 reasons in particular. The first being that it's pretty much the same beyond some added comments by Ishie, Ingvild, Eyleah, and Lunurai on the many topics. The second is how, since Ishie is still new to Devil politics, I didn't feel like I could directly type out the scene without it feeling awkward to read.**

**Despite being the granddaughter of Lucifer, our little Ishie only just learned of her heritage and status, and therefore has little knowledge or experience in how to actually use it. Not to mention her mother and grandmother's lack of influence means she has to decide her own way to do it, as she can't follow her grandfather's example without becoming the tyrant he was, and she will never become.**

**For the small bit I won't be skipping? It will be how Ishie reacts to Sona's dream, as otherwise... that honestly kills the setup for the Rating Game between Rias and Sona later on. This in itself will help show off how Devil society functions, due to how they value strength for its decisions, and how Ishie needs to find her own way of using her influence to change the Underworld in a way the Elders and Current Satans are hoping she will.**

**Now, without further ado? Let's get this chapter started!**

* * *

**[Chapter 17 - Tragedy of Black]**

Back in the main hall with all the big names and previous generation of the Three Great Powers, everyone's attention was grabbed as two Devil soldiers struck the bottom of their weapons onto the ground.

"Introducing the ruler of the Norse Gods, the mighty Lord Odin!" One of the Soldiers announced.

Right on cue, an old man with a monocle over his left eye (or some kind of equivalent to it) walked into view. He was soon followed by a Valkyrie with long, silvery-white hair and green eyes, wearing a lavender-colored business suit.

Despite her tall height? Her facial features matched those of the girls in Kuoh Academy, revealing she was just around, if not exactly the same age as Ishie and her friends.

"It's been too long, Lord Odin, mighty God of the North. You honor us with your presence." Serafall greeted, giving him a curtsy.

"I expected more from you Leviathan." Odin chuckled, rubbing his beard.

She looked at him in confusion.

"This is a party, isn't it? You shouldn't be wearing a drab business suit." He explained, seeing her confusion.

No one was sure if this was intentional or unintentional on his end, but the Valkyrie behind him gained a vein on her face, since he hadn't said anything about her not wearing a business suit when they came.

"Oh, good point!" Serafall realized, playfully bopping her head.

At that moment, a few people stared at Serafall as she did a Magical Girl transformation, especially those less familiar without it, into a familiar outfit from Kuoh's Open House.

"What just happened?" Odin asked, still rubbing his beard.

"Have you been living in a cave or something? This is a Magical Girl outfit, they're totally the rage nowadays." Serafall answered, flashing a sideways peace sign by her face.

"Love it! How would you like to stroke Odin's beard?" He praised, still rubbing his beard.

"Sir, please keep in mind why we made the voyage? You're here to represent Asgard." The Valkyrie reminded him, trying to stay professional despite her annoyance.

Odin sighed.

"Must you always be the downer in the room? It's that kind of attitude that keeps you from getting a Hero for yourself." He remarked.

Suddenly, the Valkyrie let out a gasp, with all the nearby woman realizing what landmine he just set off. She let out a growl, and then...

*"SMACK!"*

Everyone closed their eyes as Odin was struck to the ground by a harisan, causing swelling on his noggin.

"That's exactly the kind of attitude that made your son become one of the highest-members of a terrorist group!" She screamed, clearly more infuriated than she was hurt.

"I usually don't say this after 600 years, but... that's a first." Serafall remarked, staring at the sight with a sweat drop on her cheek.

Odin soon got up, rubbing his swell bump.

"Apologies you had to see that. This is Rossweisse, my capable yet bold assistant. Freyja taught her to do that whenever I deserve it... which is often." He explained, knowing someone was about to ask about what happened.

Rossweisse huffed and turned around, with everyone close to that area choosing to wisely give her some distance.

"No offense to you, Lord Odin, but I fear that after what happened with your son? Your first wife was right to teach her that." Grayfia bluntly replied.

"Ouch..." He replied with a chuckle.

If there was one thing people could say about this event? The word _interesting_ would clearly show up.

* * *

Meanwhile, around the same time as the event above, almost all of the Young Devils had shared what their dreams were. At the moment, Rias was shown talking, having just finished sharing her goal to the elders.

"Hmm... quite the bold goal for a Gremory, but still a believable one." A male elder claimed.

"Don't forget. While she is a child of a Gremory, she is also a child of Bael through her mother, so it makes sense that her goal would be something so bold." A female elder added, chuckling as she said it.

Rias blushed a bit at that, as if somehow expecting she was going to be somewhat embarrassed.

"Now, for our last Devil heir... Sona Sitri." Zekram called, looking her way.

Sona took a deep breath and stood before everyone. Her peerage gave nervous looks as she did, recalling what she told them about how people might react to her dream.

"I wish... to establish a new Rating Game School in the Underworld." Sona revealed, putting up an excellent Poker Face.

"You seemed to have emphasized saying _new_ in your reply. I'm to assume by this, the school in question does not follow the norms of the many that already exist?" Zekram inquired.

"It does. The schools that currently exist only admit Devils of the highest class, whereas what I have in mind is a school with no barriers, were even the lowest class can have the opportunity to learn." Sona confirmed.

Moments after saying that, laughter suddenly filled the room as many of the other Devil Heirs revealed what they thought about her idea.

"That's impossible!"

"What nonsense!"

"Who knew that the Sitri Heir was such a daydreamer!?"

Ishie's body suddenly tensed at those words, as Rias noticed.

'Uh oh...' She thought, hoping Ishie wouldn't be rash.

Zekram noticed this as well, but chose to say nothing, deciding to trust his gut on where this would go.

"Y-Yes, perhaps a different dream would be better." An Elder forced themselves to say.

Ishie was further ticked off, clearly seeing the Elder had been lying through their teeth to keep their up image before the many Devil Heirs she saw. Devils that she, until this very moment, never considered could be so... _nasty_, due to the experiences she's had with Rias and Sona.

"No wonder they arranged this! To think she'd claim such a dream in public! Who knew she was so funny!"

"And just how exactly is her dream funny!?" Ishie questioned.

All the laughter in the room suddenly faltered until it completely disappeared, with all eyes looking at Ishie, all of which seemed a little nervous.

Although, no one could blame said reactions. The one who silenced them was the granddaughter of Lucifer, meaning her clearly angered reaction was one that no Devil would take lightly.

"While I may have known about my Devil heritage for as long as all of you, I did meet with Tannin, and despite how powerful he was? He was still a Low-Class Devil at first, all because he needed to earn the right for territory his Dragons needed. Not wanted, needed. For their very survival no less! Does that mean you mocked such a powerful being for being a Low-Class Devil at one point?" She questioned.

Zekram smirked as many suddenly flinched, with Rias letting out a sigh of relief at how Ishie had said something smart.

'Maybe I didn't have any reason to worry.' She thought.

"Honestly, for how much your society claims to value strength over all else? I'm shocked and appalled by how you seem to enjoy leaving yourselves so weak!" Ishie stated.

Gasps were heard, while Rias went white.

'Why did I think that!?" She panicked, believing she jinxed herself.

Ishie crossed her arms as she kept talking without any fear.

"There's a Human saying, that you're only as strong as your weakest link, and that would be the Low-Class Devils you all seem to look down on just because of their rank. I have no idea how most of you think or what makes you value power to the point it influences your decisions, but is it worth it now?" She inquired.

Many who were expecting to say something due to the anger Ishie just produced in them were suddenly silenced, and left confused by what she was just said.

"In the Great War, more than half of the 72 Pillars were wiped out. Either entirely, or to the point they chose to surrender their purity to keep part of Satan, the Devil who was brought to insanity from the multiple powers he possessed, alive, through the power that would die with their Clans." Ishie explained.

Zekram once again smirked at her words, seeing some Devils freeze up.

"And how did you reward that? You didn't! To you, all of them are just false Devils you won't give the time of day, all because they're no longer true Devils without the purity they were forced to give away, all to protect one part of your culture and history. With how much you praise acting properly, I can't even comprehend why you condemn them for such a sacrifice... and step all over it!" Ishie shouted angrily.

Many of those who were prepared to say something against her no longer could, somehow finding their words were now hollow.

"And where do you come off by saying-"

"And this is exactly why I consider Sona's school to be a genius idea! By giving the Devils who rank so low a chance to get stronger, they in turn can protect what remains of the Devils' culture if something like that happened again, especially since the Khaos Brigade makes that a realistic path for our future. However, most of all... I had no idea I was even a Lucifer, so what if other reincarnated Humans are the same, or have great potential, yet you never see it... all because you see them as the feeble Low-Class!?"

Those words shut down the one who spoke, along with everyone that remained.

Rias let out a sigh of relief. Ishie had no idea what she nearly did, and she was going to make that clear when there were no more Heirs around them to hear, but... even she had to praise Ishie for the result of her words.

"I have to agree with Ishie's words." Zekram finally said, taking his chance to milk the impact she created.

This surprised many heirs.

"We lost many of our strongest long ago, and many were forced to survive by means we may not be proud of, but perhaps even Lucifer would honor for the mere sake of how they kept an almost dead power alive by doing so. Not only that, but we had our own power become our enemy during the Civil War, and I doubt you need a reminder of the one reason we even won." Zekram continued, closing his eyes at the last part.

Many hung their heads, recalling they only won because the children of the original Satans, who were clearly stronger than the current Satans, ultimately fled the battle.

"However, since I believe some of you are still against the idea... perhaps we need Sona herself to show us how even the weakest of Devils could topple the mightiest of titans." He decided.

"Show us? Sir, are you suggesting that-" Sona inquired, her eyes widening as he put the pieces together.

"I do, and it fits what we were about to share next." Zekram confirmed.

He spread out his hands.

"Because of the Khaos Brigade's threat, any of you could be forced into battle one day, and as such... you must prove you are ready in the only way possible." He continued.

"Through the Rating Game." Eyleah stated.

"Correct. As such, we have decided to hold a tournament to decide who the true ace among this generation is, and as of now..." Zekram confirmed.

He pointed at Rias and Sona.

"I, Zekram Bael, hereby declare the first match will be between Rias Gremory and Sona Sitri!" He announced.

Everyone gasped as they heard that, while Rias and Sona looked at each other, realizing the time had come.

"Basically, you want Sona to prove she can push Ishie into a corner." Lunurai realized.

"Since Rias has our own Princess in her peerage, who in turn has a Longinus, what better way for her to prove her dream and Ishie's words than to hold her ground against them... if not outright win?" Zekram stated, smirking as he crossed his arms.

As many began to murmur over what had just been said? Rias and Sona simply smiled at one another, each sporting an expression of anticipation towards this challenge.

"We both knew this would happen, so I guess now's the time." Rias stated.

"I agree, and I'll make sure to come out you with everything I have, so be prepared to lose." Sona responded.

"Looks like we're all in agreement then." Zekram stated.

The gauntlet had been thrown down, and now... all that was left for the day of the Rating Game.

* * *

Back in the forest area, the sight of Kuroka could be seen as she laid across a random tree branch.

She stayed where she was, watching the sky with boredom, until the familiar sounds of a Black Cat reached her ears. Getting up, she saw her Familiar run into view, holding the two slips of paper it had just stolen.

"Kuro, what did you steal?" She asked, a mix of a scolding and worried tone in her voice.

She took the papers, and then paled when she saw the Norse Summoning circles on them.

"Fenrir's got the scent!" Vali shouted.

"Why!" She whisper screamed.

She grabbed her Familiar and began hiding in the thick leaves of the tree, right as Fenrir walked into view, sniffing the ground as Vali and Bikou watched. By this point, they were both nearby, yet faraway from Kuroka's position.

A bead of sweat fell from Kuroka's cheek as the legendary beast neared her, prompting her to motion her hands as she used the Space half of her Space-time magic to distort the area she was in from Fenrir's sense of smell. While it was possible for a Youkai, like Bikou, to catch it? He failed to notice due to her Chi being much stronger than his was.

"Meow..." Kuro shivered.

"Shh! Try not to make any noise, we can't let that mutt spot us." Kuroka warned.

Both of them went quiet as Fenrir passed by, sniffing a few more times before running towards an area she had been prior, getting Vali and Bikou's attention.

"He's got something!" Vali shouted.

Both of them chased after Fenrir, unaware they had passed their culprit, who was hiding in what was close to plain sight.

"Well, we managed to avoid them for now, but we won't be able to forever." She sighed.

She looked at the two slips of paper before looking at her Familiar.

"Kuro, keep watch while I try and destroy the summoning magic in these papers. That will hopefully keep away from us, and stop whatever insanity they're planning." Kuroka requested with urgency.

The black cat nodded before glaring at the area around her. Holding her hand out, she targeted the first paper, feeling the energies of the beast it was tied to.

*"SHATTER!"*

Her magic ultimately won out, destroying the first summoning paper's circle.

"OK, one down..." She panted.

Kuroka repeated the process, but when she tried it with this one? The moment she saw the beast it was linked to, she immediately stopped, not even bothering to try.

"Are those two really that crazy to bring _that_ monster here!?" She questioned.

The panic she felt was justified. After all, there was one creature from Norse mythology that everyone feared, and they had chosen to use it.

Well, everyone except maybe Great Red and Ophis, but Kuroka didn't know about that particular detail to know why they could take that risk.

"Damn it... I have no choice." She growled, gritting her teeth.

"Meow?" Kuro blinked.

"Kuro, I need you... to get my sister's attention, and hopefully bring her and others into the forest." Kuroka requested.

In response to hearing that? The black cat screeched in surprise.

"We can't let them bring this monster to the Underworld, and I don't have the means to destroy this second summoning circle, so we need to get it away from those two and their hound. I'll buy us some time, so I beg of you... approach my sister this one time!" She explained, clearly pained over what she was being forced to do.

Kuro looked at her master with worry, but then nodded and rushed towards the building where Koneko and the rest of the ORC currently were, right as she pulled out a vial of perfume with a reluctant look.

"Hopefully I won't gag too much from this scent..." She hoped.

The scene zoomed out as the sound of the perfume bottle breaking could be heard, followed by Kuroka's muffled gagging sounds and a flash of light.

* * *

Walking through the hallway, the Gremory Team could be seen as they walked back to the main area, along with the Sitri Team and most of the Devils.

"Guess I made it through my first talk about politics." Ishie remarked.

"That you did, but since we're now done with it... Ishie, could you stand still for a moment?" Rias replied.

Ishie blinked before shrugging a little, doing just that, and once she did?

*"SNAP!"*

Ishie then let out a brief scream, rubbing her forehead from where Rias just flicked it as the redheaded Devil let out a worried sigh.

"You have no idea how lucky you were back there." She warned.

She tilted her head in confusion, still rubbing the still throbbing area of her forehead that Rias flicked.

"Allow me to explain. When you said what you did in response to everyone laughing at Sona's goal, a good portion of the things your words ended up offending those Devils. Had you not said a few words that overshadowed them... a lot of them would have turned on you. Even being Lucifer's granddaughter wouldn't have helped." Ravel revealed.

Hearing that, Ishie froze up.

"Which words... were the offending ones?" Ishie asked, feeling Ravel's revelation sink in.

"Pretty much all of them except the ones that basically proved you were kind of right about us making ourselves weaker than we should be, as Zekram kindly pointed out." Rias answered.

Ishie went white at that, then let out a forced laugh as her colors slowly returned.

"So, my first day of showing my eventual leadership... and I ended may have just pissed off all of our potential opponents in this Rating Game tournament. Good to know..." She said in a terrified tone.

"If I'm being honest? The problem is you were trying too hard to act as the Princess you now are, and not yourself." Ravel added.

This caught Ishie's attention.

"Remember, the sin of Lucifer was his pride, and one thing tied to pride is confidence. That includes confidence in yourself. Rather than try to be what others may see you now and what you seem to see yourself needing to be now that you're in this role, just focus on being who you think _you_ should be." She explained.

Hearing that left Ishie silent, but only because she was now heavily focused on those words.

However, she didn't get long to think as Koneko suddenly froze, then looked to the side.

"Koneko, is something wrong?" Asia asked.

She didn't get an answer, and before anyone could see it coming? She lunged ahead and motioned to grab something. This surprised a few people, at least until Koneko was seen holding a black cat that resembled Shiro in her hands.

Unfortunately for her, Kuro managed to escape by making a puff of black smoke, before she started to run away with little effort.

"What just happened?" Ishie asked.

"I knew it... she's here." Koneko nearly whispered with a sad tone.

Rias gasped once she heard that, while Ishie blinked in confusion.

"Rias?" Ishie asked, still confused.

"Everyone, we have a problem... that was Kuroka's familiar, meaning she's somewhere nearby." Rias revealed.

The entire group gasped, except for Ravel, who had no idea who Kuroka was.

"I'm sorry, who?" She asked.

"Oh, right. Let me explain." Ishie realized.

She whispered into Ravel's ear, causing her eyes to quickly widen as she heard the full story.

"I... have no comment to make to that." Ravel replied, still in shock from said story.

Lunurai soon walked up to Rias.

"Go find out what's going on with her. We'll go let your brother know so he's aware, and to avoid causing a panic." She whispered.

"Alright, thank you." Rias nodded.

Her peerage prepared to head off with Koneko at the lead, only to hear Eyleah let out a loud cough.

"Shouldn't you change first?" He suggested, pointing at their clothes.

Everyone looked at their formal clothing, which stood out and wasn't a good fit for chasing someone, before a few of them blushed in embarrassment.

"Yeah, that would probably be a good idea." Yumi realized.

Kuro watched as they took care of all of that, then began heading near the elevator area to set up how she'd draw them to Vali's group.

* * *

A while later, the ORC was finally outside, but the moment they made it... Koneko suddenly started gagging before she pinched her nose.

"Oh god!" Koneko coughed.

"Whoa! Are you OK?" Millarca asked.

She got no reply, seeing as the White Nekoshou was still making gagging sounds and waving a smell away from her nostrils. Millarca looked at Rias, scratching her head.

"Kuroka must have expected she could get caught and laid out a scent too strong for a Nekoshou's nose to handle, expecting Koneko to have no protection for it." She replied.

Koneko nodded her head, feeling her eyes watering.

"Here, stick this in your nostrils." Millarca offered, pulling out a handkerchief.

Koneko quickly grabbed it, plugging up her nose before she took a deep breath.

"Well, that takes cares of my nose... unfortunately, the smell's still making my eyes water, so I can't focus on sensing her Chi flow." She replied.

"Then I guess we'll have to rely on this nose." Ishie suggested.

She held out her hand, summoning Rassei into view, who began flapping his wings as she looked at him.

"We need to find someone who has a similar scent to Koneko, but there's a bunch of perfume in the way. Think you can find them?" Ishie asked.

Rassei nodded his head before flying near Koneko, identifying her scent before sniffing the air to find another source of it within the forest.

A few seconds later, Rassei turned around and spoke to Ishie.

"I see." Ishie replied with a nod.

"Did he find her?" Rias asked.

"Sorry, I'm afraid not. I guess we'll just have to split up and hope we find her." Ishie revealed.

Rias sighed at that.

"Alright everyone, let's find her before anything happens. Koneko, I want you to stay with me, just in case she tries a repeat of what happened the last time we saw her." She decided, looking at Koneko soon after.

"Alright." She replied, nodding her head.

With those words, everyone split up, and once everyone was far enough away from her...

"Rassei, lead the way." Ishie stated.

Rassei nodded and flew ahead, leaving Ishie to sigh at how she just lied to everyone.

'Sorry Rias, but right now, there's something I need to know.' She thought.

Thinking back to all the times Koneko talked about her sister, Ishie needed to find Kuroka and ask her something while Koneko was guaranteed to be away from her.

'Every time I've heard those stories, something hasn't added up, especially about her Stray status. Now, it's time I find out the truth.' Ishie thought with determination.

She began picking up speed as she felt her adrenaline pumping.

* * *

In a different part of the forest, Kuroka could be seen resting against a tree, panting as she tried to regain some of her strength. While it was a necessary action, having the smell of perfume directly on her skin had sapped away most of her strength.

Kuro soon reappeared, though briefly hissed at Kuroka for the perfume smell, hating it almost as much as she did. Kuroka gave an embarrassed laugh, scratching her cheek.

"I know, but I had to hide my scent from that mutt." She apologized in a less sultry and higher pitched voice.

"So, you aren't trying to hide from your sister then?" Ishie inquired.

Kuroka and Kuro quickly felt their eyes widen as they heard that, with a second flash going off before Kuroka dropped into view.

"Well, well. This is an interesting find." Kuroka remarked in her prior vocal tone.

Ishie simply glared at the Black Nekoshou, causing an uncomfortable silence as Rassei just looked between them. It eventually got to a point that Kuroka sweated a little.

"Are we having a staring contest or something?" She asked, finally breaking the ice.

"That's not what you actually look like, or sound like, is it?" Ishie answered, her stare having evolved into a deadpan look.

Kuroka flinched at that.

"W-Whatever makes you say-" She asked, looking away from Ishie's eyes.

"Two reasons. One, your younger sister does the same thing to look younger than she really is, and two, your voice sounded lighter until you used that flash to talk with me." Ishie answered as she continued her deadpan stare.

Kuroka paled at that, realizing how easily she gave herself away, and let out a sigh of defeat.

Her body glowed as she dispelled the transformation, one again giving off a flash of light as her real appearance revealed, and Ishie was... honestly quite surprised by what the Black Nekoshou's true appearance.

She still had long hair, which might have become even longer depending on how much of her hair was tied in her false form's ring loops, with long side tails that reached to her large bust, which was one of the few things that was the same between her real and fake appearances.

As for her attire? The revealing kimono had been replaced with a black jacket with some white over a red shirt, white shorts, and brown boots.

"Wow. After seeing your other form? This is not what I expected you to look like, besides your figure." Ishie admitted.

"That _is_ what a disguise is meant for." Kuroka said, using her real voice.

Ishie had no comment to make, and simply shrugged her hands in response, though her expression soon hardened as she walked closer.

"You and I need to have a talk." She stated.

"And what makes you think I'll-" Kuroka replied.

She paused as Ishie unleashed a familiar white and black attack resembling the Power of Destruction, making the Nekoshou shut up as Ishie held more of it in her left hand.

"That was _not_ a request." Ishie warned, revealing her Divine Diving wings.

Kuroka went silent as she saw her Longinus, realizing that Ishie was _not_ someone she could just fight or escape from.

* * *

Meanwhile, with Rias and Koneko, the two began their search for Kuroka throughout the forest, and after a few minutes into their search...

"Wait, one second." Koneko suddenly said.

"What is it?" Rias asked, looking at her.

Koneko closed her eyes and tried to focus on any nearby Chi flows, quickly noticing she was able to focus just enough to sense what she was specifically thinking of as she saw hers and Rias' compared to their current surroundings.

"Good news, the smell of perfume has started to fade from the air. While I still can't smell, I should be able to sense where my sister is now." Koneko realized.

Rias watched as Koneko focused on trying to read her sister's Chi glow, and quickly found it... right before letting out a loud gasp.

"That sounded bad. Did you accidentally give away our position?" Rias asked, sweating a little.

"No, it's not that. I found her... and Ishie's with her!" Koneko answered, her eyes shaking slightly.

Rias gasped at that.

"What, but how is that possible!? Ishie said Rassei... couldn't..." She asked.

She didn't even need to finish her sentence before she and Koneko realized what had happened, causing Rias to let out some of her aura in anger.

"Did she lie to us!?" She realized, annoyed that Ishie did something like this.

"She did, and... I think she lied because of me." Koneko replied, lowering her head as she realized why.

Rias felt her aura fade as she gave her Rook a confused look, seeing the White Nekoshou rub her arm.

"What do you mean?" Rias asked.

"Think about it Rias. She knows my full story, and then there was what happened to me during our training. If you add that to how she lost her brother and sister, then it's not too hard to understand why Ishie lied to us." She explained.

It took her a moment, but Rias managed to connect the dots before letting out a gasp of realization.

"Oh, I am really going to-" Rias mumbled, feeling her aura flare out again.

"Let her do this." Koneko begged.

Rias looked at Koneko in surprise, seeing her fists tightening before looking at her with puppy dog eyes (or rather, kitty cat eyes in her case) that were shining with emotion.

"But..." Rias tried to say.

"Please, I beg of you. Just this once... let us be selfish and do something against your wishes!" She screamed.

Rias was left silent at that, knowing Koneko almost always listened to her without complaint or second guessing. It was something she couldn't stand, but once she thought to why Ishie had tried to get Kuroka and herself alone, the answer became clear.

'Koneko, you still want to believe in your sister... even after everything you've said and that she's done.' Rias thought, barely keeping herself from crying.

She let out a sigh.

"Alright, but my one condition is we at least have to watch them in case she tries anything, because I'm not in the mood to tell everyone that their Princess was just killed." Rias finally agreed.

"Deal." Koneko replied.

With those words, the Rook of Gremory lead Rias in the direction her sister and Ishie were.

* * *

Now that she had caught Kuroka with the threat of her strength, Ishie asked her question.

"Why did you really kill master?" She asked.

"What? Come on, you've already heard the story, haven't you? I don't need to-" Kuroka asked, a false laugh laced within her voice.

"I heard one story, not your story. Not to mention you were _avoiding_ us." Ishie countered.

She flinched at Ishie's words.

"From what I've learned and heard? Strays have rampant energy, and try to draw people to them. You were clearly trying to hide, and I can tell your energy is stable. For you to count as a Stray in that sense is impossible. By that logic, you're only a Stray for one reason... committing a crime." She continued.

While she was talking, Ishie sensed Rias and Koneko as they arrived, and were starting to listen... right as Ishie said those words. Hearing this was enough to make Rias raise an eye as she considered those details.

'Now that I think about it... she's right! While Kuroka changed her appearance, that was more like what Koneko already does to look younger than she actually is, and wasn't trying to eat us like other Strays often do without a second thought. A Stray of her threat level shouldn't be capable of that." Rias realized, sweating a little.

She already knew what Kuroka's previous appearance looked like due to the earliest of her criminal sketches, so seeing she still had her former appearance only further made what Ishie was saying feel out of place.

'Ishie, how long have you noticed these inconsistencies? Do you actually believe... that she could be innocent of her crimes?' Rias thought, almost feeling hopeful.

"My rank as a Stray is SS-Class, so how do you know I'm not-" Kuroka countered, almost trying to sound guilty.

"Because my mom told me about the Naberius Clan during my training." Ishie revealed, closing her eyes.

Koneko covered her mouth to muffle the loud gasp she let out, which would have exposed her and Rias had it been heard, while Rias felt her eyes widen before looking at the Nekoshou sisters in surprise.

As Kuroka froze from those words, Ishie thought back to the talk she had with her mom.

* * *

_While Ishie was doing some stretching before some magic practice, her mother walked up to her._

_"Ishie, can I ask you something?" Rizevia requested._

_"Sure. What is it?" She inquired, still doing her stretches while listening._

_"Koneko's past. Do you mind telling me everything? I don't really know much about it, and the other day, something that Sylvie said left me thinking about it." Rizevia asked._

_Ishie blinked before rubbing her head._

_"Let's see... it's like this." Ishie replied._

_She began sharing everything, and after telling the full story? Rizevia sighed, having confirmed her suspicions, which confused her daughter somewhat._

_"What's wrong?" Ishie asked._

_"Back when you were talking to Sylvie, and she mentioned the Six Houses of Lucifer, she brought up the Naberius Clan from the 72 Pillars in response. Specifically, when she had to correct herself about the Nebiros Clan's status." Rizevia explained._

_"And..." Ishie continued, not understanding what that meant._

_"During that moment she mentioned the Naberius Clan, I caught Koneko flinching, as if she was familiar with them. Now that I'm aware of her story, I finally understand why she flinched when she did." She explained._

_Ishie's eyes widened, and before she could even ask her question?_

_"That's right. Her sister's former master was a Naberius, and... it also explains everything about what her sister did." Rizevia confirmed._

_"How is that?" Ishie inquired._

_"Because the Nebiros Clan is known for dangerous experiments on a genetic level, as is the Naberius Clan they once controlled before the Civil War, and because of that? Well, while I can't actually guarantee it... I'm more than certain this Kuroka didn't actually lose control of her powers. If anything, she was forced to kill her master." She revealed._

_Ishie wondered why, but then she gasped as a Koneko's face quickly flashed through her mind._

* * *

Rias wasn't sure why Ishie asked Kuroka about the Naberius Clan, but since she had brought her mom into the conversation...

'Ishie... are you implying what I think you are?' She gasped.

"Now, tell me the truth Kuroka. The reason you killed your master was because he was going to do some of his Clan's horrible experiments on her, wasn't she!?" Ishie asked.

That one line caused Koneko and Rias' eyes to widen, while Kuroka flinched, giving Ishie her answer.

"That reaction tells me everything. You knew your master's real nature, and kept Koneko from the truth, even as you struggled through the tests you took or he implied you'd eventually take... until he said your sister would be part of those tests. As her older sister, that was the last straw for you, so you killed him to protect her." Ishie summarized.

Koneko struggled to process this, and then... tears flowed from her eyes.

She remembered seeing her sister before their dead master, and the horror in her eyes upon realizing she saw it all. Kuroka had looked so... afraid. That wasn't the look of a murderer, but someone who had been left with no choice but to spill blood.

"To think someone like you could be that nosy enough to learn the truth." Kuroka confirmed, lowering her head.

Rias let out a silent gasp.

No matter what she just heard, she couldn't understand it. If Kuroka had been innocent all along, then... why? Why didn't she say anything all those years ago?

'It just doesn't add up. If she was truly innocent, then shouldn't she have-' She thought.

"But what's the point after all of this!? After all, my sister would never believe that after everything I've said and done! To her, I'm nothing but a murderer, so why act like I'm not when that's what she and almost every other Devil believes?" Kuroka questioned, showing a mixture of anger and sadness in her eyes.

Rias froze as her question received its answer.

Koneko soon felt her eyes shrink, remembering what she said to her sister when they last saw one another.

"I killed my master to protect her... and all it did was scar her into seeing me as a murderer, which prompted the Devils to try and kill her. If I have to live knowing that I lost my sister that day, physically or otherwise? Then I'm going to be the monster she sees me as!" Kuroka said, forcing a smile.

She was so distracted by her own words that she failed to notice anything else, and that's when it happened.

*"SMACK!"*

Her eyes widened at the pain of the strike, with no one, including herself, noticing the summoning paper flying away from her form as she nearly fell over. Rias and Koneko were speechless as Kuroka looked up to see Ishie looking at her.

And she was _pissed!_

"Don't you dare talk like you still know your sister... because you don't know her at all!" Ishie screamed, grabbing her by the shirt.

Rias and Koneko gasped at the sight.

They had heard Ishie yell at them once before, but... before now, they had never seen her _this_ angry, especially since her current expression was fitting of her status as the Half-Devil granddaughter of Lucifer.

"Your sister hates you? Sees you as a murderer? You don't know anything! In all the time I've known her for, the only thing she wants more than anything is for all of that to be wrong and for you to come back to her!" Ishie screamed, shaking her closer every few seconds.

Kuroka's eyes widened at that, but couldn't say anything as Ishie refused to give her even a chance to speak. Not until she had said enough.

"I recall seeing her tears! How she always stays transformed into what she used to look like before you ran off! All that silent wishing that you didn't go mad with power... and do what she thinks you did all of those years ago! For all I know, that's how she's felt since the day she saw you kill that Naberius bastard!"

She screamed as she put her face directly in front of hers.

"And all of that's while I've had to hold back how I felt, knowing that unlike me, Koneko hasn't lost you! My brother and sister are gone and they're never coming back! If you keep walking this path, then you'll regret it for the rest of your life! So, why are still running away from her!?"

Ishie asked her the same question twice after that, and then... her voice shook before Rias and Koneko saw her break into tears, which was when Rias finally had enough of watching.

"Ishie!" She shouted, running into view.

Rias pulled her off Kuroka, who just laid where she was, all while Rias failed to notice Ishie's lack of surprise at her presence. Right now, all that mattered to her was Ishie had pushed herself to the point of tears in her desperate attempt to reach her.

"Just let it out, it'll be OK." Rias reassured her, knowing how deeply Ishie must have dug into her personal scars with her last words.

'Those words... what did she mean?' Kuroka thought, struggling to take them all in because of how suddenly they were said to her.

At that moment, Koneko walked into view.

"Ishie wasn't lying to you..." She said quietly.

Kuroka's eyes widened at that, getting up as she turned around, seeing her sister staring at her.

"Shirone..." She breathed.

However, before anything could be said?

*"RUMBLE!"*

Ishie's crying stopped as they felt the entire Underworld shake, with Kuroka quickly paling as she looked around, and saw that the summoning paper had fallen to the ground.

And by doing so? It had activated, with the rumbling being the signal of the coming monster's arrival.

"No... no, no, no, no! We're all screwed now!" Kuroka panicked.

"What do you mean?" Rias questioned.

"My familiar found a paper with a Norse summoning circle applied to it, and I saw a Human and a Monkey Youkai trying to find it, because that particular circle was meant to summon Midgardsormr!" Kuroka revealed.

Ishie gasped as she quickly realized the two Kuroka saw were Vali and Bikou, but the latter name was unfamiliar to her.

"Who the heck is Midgardsormr?" Ishie asked.

"The name of a creature, which is also an Evil Dragon that's one of the Five Dragon Kings, that you probably know better under its one alias... the Midgard Serpent." Rias revealed.

She gasped as she heard that, well aware of the creature that was heavily linked to Loki.

"No way... are you saying the Khaos Brigade wants to begin Ragnarok in the Underworld!?" Ishie exclaimed in horror.

"You're forgetting their leader is Great Red... he could easily summon Midgardsormr here, have the Devils mostly or completely wiped out, and then kill him before he's able to spread Ragnarok's destruction to the rest of the world." Koneko mentioned.

Kuroka froze as she heard the mention of Great Red, though she didn't have time to ask any questions, as a loud roar was heard.

"Move!" Rias ordered, nearly panicking.

All four of them ran away as the summoning circle finally grew large enough, allowing Midgardsormr to start slithering through it.

* * *

The rumbling soon reached those still inside, causing everyone to scream as the lights began to flicker from the growing tremors.

"What's going on here!?" Saji questioned.

"I'm not sure, but it's not good!" Lint answered.

As the tremors continued, the opening stages of Midgardsormr's entrance soon reached Rossweisse and Odin, who instantly realized the coming danger.

"Damn it, Vali... of all the things you could have done." Odin whispered to himself.

He soon got on his feet, looking at the other leaders.

"These are no ordinary tremors, my son has summoned something into the Underworld, and it's something even I fear." He revealed.

"If you fear it, then there's only a small list of what it could be, especially since the Red Dragon has Fenrir on his side." Sirzechs realized.

Odin nodded his head.

"He's summoned Midgardsormr, and these tremors are the result of him simply trying to slither through the gate that's summoning him into the Underworld." He confirmed.

Many gasps were heard, prompting Lint to look at Sona, who nodded her head in agreement.

As they began rushing out, a certain group of Devils noticed this, and then looked at each other.

* * *

Ishie's group soon reached a safe distance from Midgardsormr, who they were now watching, as he continued slithering into the Underworld's borders. Feeling sweat trickle down her cheek, Ishie raised her right hand.

"Albion, please tell me there's a way for us to stop this monster." Ishie begged, barely keeping calm.

**("Against a Dragon like Midgardsormr, I... I don't know. To beat it conventionally would be impossible, and for other options...")** Albion confessed, knowing the unique features of this Dragon were unlike any other.

Hearing that caused Ishie to sweat even more, looking at Rias and Koneko, who shook their heads in response.

"Don't ask me. There was another summoning paper I dealt with, but when I sensed Midgardsormr on the second... it was clear there was nothing I could do to stop it besides keeping it off the ground." Kuroka replied, despite no one asking her.

Once again, Ishie felt fear overtake her, having no answers for how to stop this beast from destroying her homeland.

"There has to be something! Can't we just... I don't know, seal him in something!?" Ishie asked, guessing at this point.

Rias was about to say otherwise, only for Kuroka to gasp.

"Actually, yes! We could do that! It might be possible if I used my powers to draw its soul into some kind of object, provided it has the right properties." Kuroka confirmed.

"You can really do that?" Rias asked in surprise.

"Shirone and I are both capable of it, since we'd just need to use our space-time magic to manipulate his soul into his new prison. However, that's where the hard part comes in..." Kuroka answered.

She looked at the Evil Dragon's still rising form.

"A creature of that power? We can't seal it away unless we deal it enough damage, otherwise its soul will be strong enough to resist the process." She revealed.

"Then leave that job to me!" Ishie offered, knowing she could do it.

Kuroka looked at her like she was crazy.

"I know you have the Divine Dividing, but how could you achieve that?" She questioned.

"Because... my name is Ishie, Ishie Lucifer." Ishie answered, spreading out her eight wings.

The Black Nekoshou's eyes widened at the sight.

Ishie then flew off towards the Evil Dragon, who was nearly far enough into the Underworld to pull the rest of his body out without issue.

"Albion, are you ready!?" She asked.

**("As ready as I can be when fighting against any Evil Dragon.")** He answered.

Ishie smiled at that.

**("I should warn you, though. If you use a Divide against Midgardsormr, I'm positive you'll take in too much power, so you'll need to release everything you take after each use. It would also be a good idea to start with your Half Dimension before you start attacking.")** Albion advised.

"I remember the fighting we did against Tiamat during my training, and she barely lifted a claw, so you don't have to worry about me not going all at from the start." Ishie reassured him.

Albion chuckled at that, speeding closer to Midgardsormr as he finally slithered his entire body into the Underworld.

* * *

Watching from a distance, Vali and Bikou were surprised to see that Midgardsormr had made his appearance, but Vali was quick to let out an impressed chuckle once he saw the Evil Dragon's arrival.

"We may not have both monsters out here, but at least the stronger was successfully summoned." He remarked.

"He really is quite the beast. Although, how are we gonna control him into only destroying most of the Devils and not kill that Ishie girl in the process?" Bikou replied before giving Vali a carious look.

The sound of someone's throat clearing was heard, making Bikou turn as he saw Sophia walk into view.

"I believe you're forgetting what I was known for back in Heaven? I already know how to keep Midgardsormr under our boundaries, and stop Ragnarok from initiating if things were to push him near the point of causing it." Sophia said with confidence, focused on the Evil Dragon.

Bikou let out a slight chuckle.

"Alright, if you're sure that you can handle this slippery snake, then we'll head back and get ready for whatever's next on Red's agenda." Bikou decided.

"Of course she can handle this. After all, this is _my_ mother we're talking about." Vali replied with a smirk.

He opened a magic circle and walked through it, shortly before Bikou followed him through it. Once they were gone, Sophia rose her hands, preparing a magic circle.

"Now, time to get started." She stated.

"Sorry, but I'm afraid you'll have to take a ran check there, Sophia."

Her eyes widened as a familiar black and white attack flew towards her, forcing her to dodge as she saw the familiar form of Rizevia as she walked into view.

"Rizevia... of course you're still alive." Sophia glared, looking at her Devil counterpart.

Rizevia glared at her in return.

"To think you of all people would willingly join terrorists. Do you really hate your father as much as I did, despite how different the two men were?" She questioned.

"Different? You honestly don't understand anything, and not just because our powers and worlds are opposite to one another." Sophia replied.

Her task in controlling Midgardsormr had been forgetting by then, with the two now walking near each other, both aware that just as their children were enemies due to their respective Longinus... they too were enemies.

Meaning just like them? They too had to fight, because they walked the same opposing roads that their children did.

* * *

**The battle against Midgardsormr has begun, and it's a battle our heroes can't lose, as otherwise... they risk Ragnarok hitting all of the Underworld at best, and the entire world at worst. Can our heroes do enough damage to weaken the Evil Dragon for Kuroka to seal it inside whatever object she'll be able to get her hands on, or will they need to discover a better way with almost no time to find one?**

**Also, we finally learned the truth about Kuroka, which is in this story, the way she acts in canon has been a mere facade to uphold the image of the villain she believes her sister sees her as. I feel it was an interesting twist, since there aren't that many stories where she's not quite the naughty kitty she acts like in canon, and I felt that for what Daydreamer Dragon is focused on, that having her acting as the villain more fitting. That, and I have another reason.**

**I bet a few people were a little surprised by how OOC the Rossweisse of this story is, so to elaborate on that? This version of her was like her canon self at first, but due Vali being one of Odin's children and Sophia being one of his wives? That eventually changed. Vali always had a bit of a wild streak, especially due to his mother's influences, and that stress caused her tendency to break down to be replaced with having no tolerance for some of Odin's bolder words.**

**Next up is how Ishie handled her reaction to everyone mocking Sona's dream, and that breakdown she had when talking to Kuroka, which shows that even after all the recent growth she's undergone... she's still hurting from losing Aiko and Yuuki as a child. That, and she's nowhere near ready to be the kind of leader the Devils need, especially since she lacks a proper example in her family tree.**

**Basically... now that she realizes her heritage, and has fully awakened it? Ishie has a whole new set of challenges to overcome, and these challenges could easily be greater to overcome than the ones she's already faced. Fighting against Midgardsormr is, in a sense, a representation of these struggles and how she needs to find a new way to fight them, because the way she did before now is no longer enough. Especially once she has her eventual rematch with Vali.**

**Until next time everyone, and stay awesome! ^^**


	18. Miracle of White

**This is it... the end of the V5 adaption! The battle against Midgardsormr and our many heroes has officially begun, along with the clash between Rizevia and Sophia, which will both be intense fights due to their respective natures. Especially with how Rizevia and Sophia are fighting as a result of what both their children are fighting for, and as last chapter implied... because we'll learn why Sophia left Heaven.**

**Now, as I just said the V5 adaption is over, you might be thinking: "But what about the Rating Game between Rias and Sona!?" right now. So, my answer to that? It will still be happening. I've simply decided to show it in the V6 adaption, as the attack with Midgardsormr will end up delaying it. I can't say how far away the game will be, other than it will be _before_ Ishie and Asia have their official first encounter with Diodora.**

**A lot is going to be happening in this chapter. While I can't say what most of it is, the few things I can say is that Eyleah and Lunurai will be making their battle debuts here, and you'll see what path Kuroka is going to take after what happened before Midgardsormr slithered into the Underworld, especially in regards to where she and Koneko now stand.**

**One thing I'd like to bring up, which I forgot to mention in last chapter's end notes, is why did I have Kuroka's canon appearance be a mere transformation in this story? Because in this story, her and Koneko's canon appearances are used as a sort of representation for how they see themselves. Koneko's unable to see herself beyond the scared little girl who needs her sister, while Kuroka can't see herself beyond a villain.**

**I mainly went with this because when I was creating Ishie's backstory, I eventually realized how the connection between her and the ORC wasn't just being a sad back story, and that I had unknowingly actually created a theme about not being chained by the past. Once I saw that, the idea stuck with me, leading the story to become what it is now. As such, I decided to make Kuroka's canon appearance a disguise.**

**So, without further ado? Let the chapter begin!**

* * *

**[Chapter 18 - Miracle of White]**

Sophia and Rizevia stared at one another, the intensity being enough to cause the mass genocide of a small country if looks could kill, especially on Sophia's side.

"I remember hearing the news during the Great War... how the moment the fighting began, you left without any warning. It was a horrible shock to all of the Angels when you did this." Rizevia stated, closing her eyes.

"And why would you care about that? After all, my influence could have brought the Angels a victory, and both the Fallen Angels and Devils to extinction. If anything, the fact I left saved the Devils." Sophia inquired.

Rizevia tightened her hand, glaring at her with anger as her aura flared out.

"Because based on what my mom told me... when she warned your father about what the Devils were doing, he was confident that using your knowledge could have brought the war to an end only a year after it started, and prevent our sides from causing the massive death and destruction we did! Did you not even consider that?" She responded.

Sophia closed her eyes, scowling slightly.

"Is that you speaking, or your deceptive nature as a Devil just trying to guilt trip me into believing a lie so I'll regret my choices?" Sophia replied, clearly refusing to believe her words.

"I should have known you'd say that. You always think you know everything, just because of the gift you were born with... _Sophia of Wisdom_." Rizevia stated, intensifying her glare as she tightened her left hand into a shaking fist.

Sophia's eyes opened at that name, briefly lacking their light from pure rage.

"Don't you dare call me by that name!" She screamed, holding her hand out.

In her hands, a Holy Sword resembling a rapier appeared, which Rizevia quickly identified as the Holy Sword known as Hauteclere. Realizing where things were going, she let her full aura flare out as a warning sign that she would soon unleash her full power.

"You're right, because you aren't wise anymore! Not after you and your son willingly joined with terrorists!" Rizevia agreed.

"Terrorists are decided by opinion, not actions! Especially since it means no one will do to my son what my father and the Angels did to me!" Sophia retorted.

She soon focused her power through Hauteclere, allowing her to draw in the small traces of holy power that hid within her DNA.

"Enough talk! Our children are already destined to fight each other, so I guess it's only right we finish the battle we never started ourselves!" She continued, taking a sword stance as she readied herself for a fight.

"Looks like we can agree on that, so prepare to lose and finally face reality!" Rizevia declared.

Sophia rushed ahead first, and swung at Rizevia, who quickly moved away from her position and held out her hand, generating her father's signature power.

**"Disaster Strike!"**

"Trying to beat me with the power my father's greatest error gave birth to? How naive." Sophia remarked, watching it approach.

She shifted her stance and turned around, firing a blast of holy light at the attack.

"Don't think I'm unaware of how to fight against that corrupted light of yours. Regardless of my path, I know how your father was born, and that power's origin." She stated.

Rizevia glared at her.

"Light of Ruin, the power born from the failed creation of the Morning Star, a level of Holy Light that would have changed the world for the better... had its creation not been so flawed that it became a danger. One that was proven when your father was born, and he used it to erase countless Human souls that can never reincarnate." She scowled.

"No need to give me a history lesson, I'm aware of what this power is... and I saw firsthand the kind of damage it can bring!" Rizevia shouted.

Rizevia threw her hands up before swinging them down, using her Light of Ruin to create a horizontal tornado, surprising Sophia as she was caught inside of it. This left her open, and let Rizevia unleash some kind of attack that resembled a Mutated Dragon against her.

She was barely able to hold up Hauteclere to parry the blow, and all the non-recoil damage from her attack, as she slid out of the tornado. Her eyes widened as Rizevia dove at her, unleashing it as what looked like a lightning bolt.

"Damn it... the Power of Destruction truly is a diluted form of this power, even when enhanced." Sophia realized.

The signature ability of the Bael Clan was created by Lucifer to show their rank as the highest of the 72 Pillars, which is why they had the name of Great King, by diluting the light from it until it was nothing but raw demonic power. Some even claimed it was Satan's original ability when he was created, further emphasizing their high social ranking.

However, its power still paled in comparison to its original.

Even though the Power of Destruction could vaporize a target? Without an outside power source, such as a Dragon's aura, it was only able to destroy their physical form and leave behind a soul. The Light of Ruin, which was twice as strong, however, attacked at a metaphysical level.

This let it destroy souls, and even more? It could do so by choice, allowing Lucifer to truly show his cruelty when destroying a soul was not the worst he could do to someone, leading to the horrible acts that gave Devils the reputation they had in the pre-Modern Day world.

"Uh... Sophia? You do realize you're thinking out loud, right?" Rizevia mentioned, staring at her with a sweat drop on her face.

"Eh!?" Sophia exclaimed.

The Daughter of God blushed at that, feeling sweat go down her cheeks.

"H-How much of that did you hear?" Sophia asked as her face went pale.

"Let's see, I believe it was... _The signature ability of the Bael Clan was created by Lucifer_, if I remember right?" Rizevia recalled.

Sophia turned white, and then turned red in anger.

"You made me do that on purpose, didn't you!?" Sophia screamed, now feeling outright furious.

"OK, now you're just making excuses..." Rizevia remarked, face palming herself in response.

"That's what they all said!" Sophia roared.

Rizevia raise an eye at that, feeling something about those words wasn't random.

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the battlefield, the group of Rias, Koneko, and Kuroka were all gathered as they tried to find something Kuroka and/or Koneko could use as the object they'd be sealing Midgardsormr's soul into.

"I probably should have asked this earlier, but is there anything in particular that we'd need?" Rias inquired.

"The kind of objects that would be best will take us too long to get, and require us to leave the Underworld to get them, which we probably can't do with an earthquake having likely shut down the trains as a safety precaution." Kuroka replied.

Rias felt a bead of sweat drop down her face upon hearing that, but managed to keep her calm and just lightly make a sound in response.

"OK... then what works among what we can find?" She continued, barely keeping her composure.

Kuroka thought for a moment.

"Preferably something with a lot of magical power, yet with as spherical of a shape as possible, not unlike the tops on Pawn Pieces in Chess." She answered.

Hearing that, Rias held up a spherical rock.

"Sorry, but a rock from the Underworld doesn't exactly fit the conditions we need." Kuroka replied.

"Of course it doesn't..." Rias said before face palming.

Around this time, Akeno ran into the area alongside the rest of the Occult Research Club, which allowed her to spot Rias and Koneko.

"I found them!" She shouted.

Rias and Koneko turned to see their friends run towards them, making the former sigh in relief.

"Thank goodness, you found us." Rias smiled.

"Yeah, we didn't know what happened at first, and then we saw that giant snake appear from a distance. What is that thing?" Irina replied, looking at it and how Ishie was flying towards it.

Rias went quiet at that, losing her voice for a moment.

"That's one of the children of Loki, an Evil Dragon from Norse Mythology, and one of the Five Dragon Kings as well... Midgardsormr." Kuroka answered for her.

Hearing that caused everyone to gasp, except for Millarca, who turned her head as she noticed Kuroka.

"Who's this chick?" She asked.

"My sister." Koneko revealed.

Hearing that made everyone gasp, with Kiba preparing to draw Arondight, only to feel Koneko grab his hand.

"Huh?" He blinked.

She shook her head, further confusing him.

"Who I am isn't important right now. Midgardsormr's mere presence is pushing the world closer to the nightmare known as Ragnarok, and if we can't stop him in the next... well, its somewhere between 15 minutes at best and 30 minutes at worst, then the Underworld will be turned into a frozen graveyard." Kuroka warned.

The mention of Ragnarok caused everyone to push away the fact of Kuroka's presence.

"Ragnarok... the Norse end of the world? This thing is what causes it? How!?" Yumi asked.

"Allow me to explain that." Rossweisse offered.

This voice caused everyone to turn as a magic circle showing the Sitri Team, Lint, Rossweisse, Ingvild, Eyleah, and Lunurai to appear from a magic circle that formed near the Gremory Team.

In the case of Lunurai, her casual attire that she had just swapped into was a sleeveless black shirt with intentional stylish tears over a sleeved blue vest with a zipper, a yellow ribbon that held her ponytail, gray jean shorts with a red belt, and blue sneakers. For Rossweisse, she had just switched her business suit with her Valkyrie armor.

"Proper introductions will need to be done later, but I am the Valkyrie Rossweisse, bodyguard of Lord Odin." She greeted.

"Meaning you know a lot about that giant Snake... Dragon... thing, right?" Millarca asked, pointing at him with her thumb.

"Yes, and the threat of a time limit is great." Rossweisse confirmed.

At that moment, the sound of Midgardsormr's roars reached everyone, with Ishie pausing her fighting with the beast as it suddenly grew a noticeable amount in size, sending a few chunks of its leather skin flying as it shed from its increase in size.

"Eww!" Irina and Asia shouted.

"It's not just disgusting, that's what makes him such a threat. He can grow indefinitely until he's big enough to wrap around the world in the same manner as the symbol of Ouroboros... which is how he causes Ragnarok." Rossweisse revealed.

"How so?" Yumi asked.

"Because he's like a Snake, cold-blooded in the biological sense, though he takes it to a further level. His entire body's so cold, if he grew to the size of the Earth... it would completely alter the world's entire climate and initiate the prolonged Winter that acts as the initial stages of Ragnarok." She answered.

"Basically... this thing will get so big, it will freeze the world into a second, but much worse Ice Age?" Xenovia realized.

"I'm afraid so, and even while forced asleep, he can still grow at the rate the continents move. Now that he's awake, it will only take him an hour before he grows that big. Worse, for the Underworld, that amount of time is exactly between what your one friend guessed it was." Rossweisse confirmed.

That made most of the group flinch.

"Adding onto that, Midgardsormr is one of the Five Dragon Kings, so we won't be able to defeat him by conventional means. Worse, Lord Odin's attempts to get aid may not make it in time to save the Underworld from ruin." She continued.

"Luckily, we have a different way to stop him that _will_ work." Kuroka said, smiling at the group.

Everyone looked at her.

"She speaks the truth. According to Lord Ajuka, we can still stop Midgardsormr in time if we fight not to kill him, but to seal his soul in a prison like that of most beings inside the Sacred Gears, where his cold body can't affect the world." Rossweisse confirmed.

"Only problem is we don't have the right object to seal him in, and we need to weaken him enough to be sealed, especially since Ishie seems to be struggling to fight back." Koneko revealed.

"Which explains why Ajuka asked me to do this." Eyleah realized.

He used his hands to release a loud whistling sound, causing a swarm of demonic bugs to fly into the area. Yumi's face went a little blue, having a strong fear of bugs that she was sure would have made her faint if Midgardsormr's threat wasn't grabbing her attention.

"What is this?" Xenovia asked.

"The power of the Beelzebub Clan, better known as _King of Flies_, which lets me command any kind of insect at the smallest and much more at the largest. If you need to find something to seal this guy into? My friends here can search around alongside Ajuka, leaving all of us free to fight this serpent." Eyleah answered, holding up a flyer as he did.

Ishie screamed, getting everyone's attention as she was knocked to the ground, holding a lethal wound that forced her to use the Phoenix Tears she got from Ravel.

"I am _so_ glad I gave her that." Ravel paled.

"That's our cue to start helping out, before she gets a second strike and is removed from the game of life!" Lunurai stated, tightening her fist.

Eyleah nodded, and looked at his insect friends.

"You have less than 15 minutes... do not fail, or we'll all become living ice sculptures, permanently." He warmed.

The insects all spread out to begin their search, with everyone flying towards Ishie to give her a hand.

* * *

Ishie stood before Midgardsormr catching the attention of the Evil Dragon that quickly moved its gaze onto the young Devil, focusing its eyes into a weak glare.

"So, a mere child dares to challenge me?" He questioned.

"Yeah! Unfortunately for you, this _mere child_ is not as easy of an opponent as you think!" Ishie answered.

She spread her Longinus' wings out, right as Midgardsormr lunged his head forward, still seeing her as no threat.

**("HALF DIMENSION!)**

Out of nowhere, Midgardsormr felt his power halved, making him shake for a moment.

**("DIVIDE!")**

He grunted as he lost even more power from her actions.

"Now, let's see how you handle _this_ attack!" Ishie continued.

**("RELEASE!")**

Generating a Light of Ruin sphere into her hand, the stored power she released made it swell up in size before she threw her hand forward.

Her attack manifested as the same Mutated Dragon her mother had just unleashed in her battle with Sophia, slamming Midgardsormr head on.

"Is... that... all!?" He questioned.

Midgardsormr shook off the attack, making Ishie gasp as not only did he barely take any damage, but his body briefly shook...

*"RIP!"*

*"TEAR!"*

And then suddenly grew larger, making giant flakes of his leathery skin to rain down across the area. Ishie couldn't tell how much larger he got, but the pieces of his shed skin were large enough to succeed in terrifying her.

"Albion, is... is this why Midgardsormr has the power to bring Ragnarok?" She questioned.

**("It is. Unfortunately, I'll have to tell you the full details behind why this is case _after_ we survive this, because here he comes again!")** He confirmed, warning Ishie as he felt the Evil Dragon's power getting closer.

Ishie quickly saw Midgardsormr lunge at her, and she tried to move away, only to scream as he slashed through her torso's left side and the left wing of Divine Dividing, which broke it as she landed towards the ground.

Once she crashed into it, she was forced to take the Phoenix Tear she got from Ravel, pouring it over lethal wound she just received.

"Did he get faster when he grew larger!?" Ishie questioned, trying to repair the damaged wing.

**("I'm going to assume he did, since I'm quite certain you should have been able to dodge that.")** Albion agreed, glaring at the Evil Dragon.

Midgardsormr opened his mouth as he dived at Ishie.

"Prepare to die!" He roared, ready to devour her whole.

**"Crush!"**

Intense gravity suddenly slammed his head, making Midgardsormr miss Ishie, but just barely. He tried to lift his head, only succeeding at a slow rate with his current size.

"Wait, that's-" Ishie realized.

"Quick, move out of the way!" Lunurai warned, running towards her with her left hand held out.

Ishie quickly listened, and did so just in time, as Midgardsormr grew once again.

This new size let him break free of Lunurai's gravity hold, knocking her backwards as the recoil of him escaping struck her.

"Are you alright!?" Ishie asked.

"Yeah, don't worry. Those with Satan blood are made of some pretty tough stuff." Lunurai replied, getting up with little issue.

Ishie soon saw the others gather around them.

"You're all here? But what about searching for-" Ishie asked, surprised to see _everyone_ present.

"No need to worry. I called in some friends to search for us, so we're safe in that area." Eyleah reassured her.

"And by friends, he means bugs he can talk to..." Yumi replied, shivering as she said it.

Rias soon took the lead.

"Alright everyone, we have only 10 minutes to deal as much damage as we possibly can to this monster, and hope it will be enough to seal it away. Don't hold anything back, because we have everything to lose if we fail!" She announced.

"Right!" Everyone replied.

Sona saw Saji and Ruruko look at her.

"Hey Sona?" Saji asked.

"Right, go ahead." She permitted.

They both nodded as they used their Promotion ability to become Queens.

"Alright Knights, let's take the lead!" Kiba shouted.

He was joined by Tomoe, Irina, and Xenovia for the first wave of attacks. Irina and Xenovia took the lead, putting their blades together in an X-shape.

**"Cross Crisis!"**

A cross of holy energy spun from their swords and slammed Midgardsormr in the face.

"Gah!" He roared.

"Taste this!" Kiba shouted.

He channeled the twin energies of Arondight through its tip, while Tomoe spun around and slashed her Sacred Gear against his face.

Unsurprisingly? Both waves of attacks did little damage, and ended up shortly preceding Midgardsormr's next increase in size.

"Be careful, he's pretty resilient." Ishie warned.

As the four swordsmen readied to attack again, Lint let out a giggle as she landed in front of them.

"Hope you don't mind, but I'd like to try something first." She requested.

"OK, but... even with a Longinus, you might be outclassed." Tomoe warned.

Lint giggled at that.

"I think you're mistaken. That is, if you're judging me by the standards of a Human with a Longinus." She answered.

"Wait, what!?" Xenovia and Irina said in surprise.

Lint held up her hand, revealing a glowing red A-symbol with a poker Diamond in the center.

"Time to show you all... the new me!" She announced.

She jumped into the air, surprising everyone as she sprouted two wings like a Doves and a glowing halo, surprising everyone.

"You... you've become an Angel!" Asia realized.

"How? And when did this happen!?" Yumi questioned.

"It's a long story, so to give you a short summary until we're finished here?" Lint replied, holding her hand up.

A ring of light formed before it began to multiple and blaze with the fires of the Incinerate Anthem.

"By the blessing of Lord Uriel, I've been reincarnated as an Angel to provide divine retribution and holy wrath, so prepare to feel the mighty purple flames of repentance!" She announced.

Tossing the rings forward, they hit Midgardsormr... and he screamed as his body was suddenly set on fire.

"Reincarnated? Then... does that mean-" Xenovia gasped.

"Probably, but let's focus on that after this fight." Ravel advised.

She held out her hands, adding to Lint's fire with her own, causing a spiral of purple and normal flames to spiral and strike Midgardsormr.

* * *

Sophia and Rizevia's battle continued, with neither side having spoken since Sophia let her rage and anger take over, leaving that area of the battlefield a smoking mess from the holy energies she used without restraint or strategy.

Eventually, it was getting to the point that Rizevia was getting understandably annoyed for non-battle reasons.

"Alright, spill it! Why are you suddenly so ticked off!" Rizevia demanded.

"Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about! You-" Sophia shouted.

"I don't know a damn thing, just like you're not omniscient, moron!" Rizevia countered, her eyes shrinking as she yelled.

Sophia froze at that.

"How exactly would I know what's going on? The Angels have no idea, or maybe the last 700 years have left those who remember to either forget or possibly be dead due to a variety of reasons within those seven centuries since the war came to an end! Not to mention, I couldn't get near Heaven back then, even if I wanted to!" Rizevia continued.

Sophia gritted her teeth, and lowered Hauteclere for a moment.

"Just because I was born with the power of great knowledge... just because I can know things most normally wouldn't know... doesn't make me some kind of living fortune cookie for people to freely use at their leisure!" She screamed.

"Wait, are you saying your choice to join the Khaos Brigade is because-" Rizevia realized.

"I never knew freedom, and now I do! I even made sure my son grew up in Asgard so, in the presence of the Gods who believe in fate, my words of defying it would truly ring through his ears! With the aid of Great Red... we will have true freedom given to the world! To do that, we must give him the strength to rewrite all of reality!" She screamed.

Hearing that, Rizevia gave a toothy frown, realizing what she was talking about.

"That's what this is all about? If that's really why you're doing what you are, then there's only one thing I can do..." Rizevia realized.

"And what would that be?" Sophia asked.

Rizevia said nothing to her, leaving Sophia to look at her with confusion, until...

*"BOOM!"*

Sophia gasped as Rizevia's aura flowed out like a wildfire, showing her anger was now influencing how strong it was.

'This pressure is-!' She thought, feeling Rizevia's aura push her away.

**[Testament of New Sister Devil: Kareinaru Taiketsu]**

"Stop showing you any kind of mercy, because at this point, I doubt anything Michael or the others said to you would make you leave this path!" Rizevia shouted, making her declaration.

She pushed her hands forward and unleashed a wave of her Light of Ruin, ripping the ground like magma.

Sophia rose Hauteclere into the air, unleashing beams of light that shot against the attack and held it back.

"This is your answer? Of course it is." Sophia sighed.

Throwing her Holy Sword's blade forward, it unleashed a powerful flash, blinding Rizevia and burning into her skin.

"After all, why else would you use your daughter!?" Sophia screamed.

"Looks like you don't know your own son, because I'm not using Ishie!" Rizevia announced.

Sophia gasped as Rizevia rushed out of her attack.

"Unlike you, I'm not running away! I've made mistakes, and the sins of my past will never fade away, but I will not ignore them either! That's why I'll be facing them, just like my daughter is facing the scars of her past with all her strength!" She continued.

She clapped her hands together, causing an explosion of demonic power to flood the area Sophia was standing at, who jumped overhead to avoid the attack.

"Face your mistakes? Me and Vali have made no mistakes, so don't you dare say-" Sophia shouted.

"Your father made mistakes, so what makes you so perfect to avoid making any!?" Rizevia retorted.

Hearing those words shut Sophia up, letting the demonic power rise upwards as Rizevia raised her hand, and strike her dead on. As she fell to the ground, she began to pant as she felt her power start draining. Her only solace was that Rizevia was in the same position, still being out of shape from fighting little to no battles over the last 500 years.

"My daughter is the proof that I found a better way than following my father! Your actions threaten her life, and all the dreams she's now fighting for! Your son's path was set because of what you told and influenced him with, but I let my daughter choose everything she did! Even now as a Devil, I will trust the choices she makes!" She continued.

"And how do you know they'll be the right choices!?" Sophia retorted.

"I don't, but I'm not going to let fear hold me back! I will face the future head on and never look back! If you're not free, it's because you can't do that!" Rizevia countered.

"You're wrong! Don't you dare say I'm scared!" Sophia screamed, channeling holy power through her sword.

Both mothers prepared to attack each other once again, only for a heavy sound to catch their attention.

**[Insert Song End]**

Rizevia and Sophia turned as they saw the now gigantic Midgardsormr... which is when Sophia finally remembered what she was supposed to have been doing, and let out a gasp of horror.

"How could I let this happen? Now that he's grown this big, it's too late for me to prevent Ragnarok." Sophia questioned, angry that she let this happen.

She formed a magic circle and disappeared, getting Rizevia's attention.

"Wait, come back here! What are you talking about!?" She demanded.

It took a few seconds before she let out an angry growl, looking at the Evil Dragon who could destroy the world if he wasn't stopped.

* * *

Everyone was dodging and attacking Midgardsormr in a game of hit and run, with their time limit having since reached 7 minutes before the earliest where Midgardsormr's presence could destroy the Underworld.

He opened his mouth, readying a powerful fire blast.

"Tsubaki!" Sona ordered.

"I'm on it!" She replied.

She flew into the air, and moved her arms in a square shape.

**"Mirror Alice!"**

A magical mirror formed and hit the flames, making it shatter and bounce back at Midgardsormr with twice the power. This surprised Rias and her peerage.

"A counter-type Sacred Gear, that would have been trouble for my side if we didn't know about it during our Rating Game." Rias remarked.

"Desperate times call for desperate measures. When the Mirror Alice shatters, it reflects double the power, which might be the kind of strength we need to stop Midgardsormr at our pay grade." Sona replied.

Midgardsormr roared as he broke out of his flames, hissing before lunging towards Tsubaki.

"Look out!" Ruruko shouted.

She sped towards Tsubaki and saved her, just as Midgardsormr grew again, but this time? His growth was much greater than the previous.

"His growth is accelerating! We're running out of time!" Rossweisse warned.

"Here, I'll give us an opening!" Saji replied.

He formed his Absorption Line, or at least that's what Ishie expected, as her eyes widened when he instead summoned four copies of it. Together, they merged to create a bunch of snakes wrapped around his body.

A storm of Absorption Line tongues latched to Midgardsormr, which caught his attention.

"Vritra, you're here!?" He realized.

Behind Saji, a black Eastern Dragon formed from the mass of snakes.

**("So, my first opponent is my fellow Evil Dragon among the Dragon Kings? It seems it was worth it to partner with you.")** Vritra stated.

"Glad to hear it!" Saji replied.

Ishie rubbed her eyes, right as Yumi readied a pair of arrows in her Sacred Gear.

**"Artemis Strike!"**

She unleashed her arrows, managing to shoot both of Midgardsormr's eyes, and send some blood leaking out as they stayed in place. With just one move, she was able to at least temporarily blind the Evil Dragon.

"Got him!" Yumi cheered, pumping her fist in victory.

"No, you haven't!" Midgardsormr hissed, moving towards her.

She paled at that, seeing him sniffing his nose, and realizing he could still use his nose to locate everyone's positions... and he was now focused on her.

"Uh oh..." She whispered to herself.

Midgardsormr lunged at her, and just as she thought she was Dragon chow?

**"King of Flies!"**

Suddenly, the ground underneath her collapsed, and Midgardsormr's face crashed into the ground. A few seconds later, she reappeared above ground, only on the back of a giant Demonic Beetle.

She screamed as she jumped off, watching the giant beetle split into many smaller beetles.

"What the literal hell!?" Yumi screamed.

"Sorry, that was me." Eyleah apologized.

Yumi looked at him in confusion, her eyes still twitching from the experience.

"King of Flies doesn't just let me call on the aid of bugs, but merge those very bugs into larger ones. I called some beetles to dig you out of harm's way before you got eaten." Eyleah explained.

"Good to know... as in I wish that you never told me!" She replied, wishing the situation hadn't kept her from fainting.

Midgardsormr prepared to lunge at them again, only for Rossweisse to hold out her spear and hold the snake in place.

"Holy crap, you're strong!" Lunurai praised.

"Thanks, but this isn't where my skills really excel." Rossweisse smiled.

She pushed Midgardsormr away, then crossed her arms to form a dozen magic circles, unleashing a storm of Norse magic through beams that slammed hard into the mighty Dragon's form.

He crashed onto his back, but this only stunned him momentarily.

"Hopefully we've done enough to seal him away. Do you know if we've found anything to seal him in yet?" Rossweisse asked.

"Not yet, since my flying insects haven't-" Eyleah replied.

He heard buzzing and turned around, showing one demonic bug that was also his familiar fly, into view. It held a spherical crystal that looked to be made from the same material as Evil Pieces.

"What's this?" He asked.

His familiar buzzed in reply.

"Ah, of course! We didn't have a use for those Evil Pieces after they lost their hosts. Recycling, you are truly a wonder." Eyleah smiled.

Eyleah rushed over to Kuroka and Koneko, who had their Nekomata traits out.

"Koneko! Kuroka! Catch!" He shouted.

He threw it to them, causing the latter to catch it.

"Ajuka melted down some old Evil Pieces that lost their power to make that! It should be able to seal Midgardsormr inside of it!" Eyleah explained.

Kuroka sensed its energies and then smiled.

"This will work! Just try to hold Midgardsormr back for a moment, and then we'll take care of the rest!" Kuroka smiled.

"Got it!" He replied, flashing a thumb's up.

He turned to Ingvild.

"Ingvild, this is your moment!" He shouted.

"I'm on it!" She replied.

She looked at Sona, who nodded her head, and the two began manipulating water together.

As Midgardsormr got back up, he saw ten large water Dragons slither around him, biting down on his skin as they held him in place.

"Can't... hold him... for long!" Ingvild grunted.

Kuroka breathed as she held out the Evil Piece sphere, then channeled her Youjutsu as her eyes flashed.

"Time for you to say goodbye, Midgardsormr!" She shouted.

The Evil Dragon suddenly roared as space began to warp around him, followed by a strong tug pulling him towards the Evil Piece sphere. Everyone looked as it seemed like it would work...

*"ROAR!"*

*"TEAR!"*

*"SHATTER!"*

Everyone gasped as Midgardsormr grew again, and the Evil Piece sphere shattered in Kuroka's hands.

"No..." She breathed.

"It broke!" Akeno gasped.

Midgardsormr grew again, and this time? A powerful breeze began to blow, showing his size was reaching the point where his cold body temperature was affecting the Underworld's landscape.

"And worse, we don't have any time to get a replacement object! That means... we can't stop Ragnarok from destroying our home!" Eyleah realized.

Hearing that detail from Eyleah? A sense of despair overcame everyone, knowing that they had nothing left, but when that detail reached Ishie's ears?

_"Goodbye Ishie... I'll miss you..." Yuuki's voice echoed._

It wasn't despair that reached her heart.

No, the reminder of the last time she was helpless had caused her to scream before she flew towards the Evil Dragon, surprising everyone as they saw her fly towards the apparently unbeatable enemy before them.

"Ishie, w-what? What are you-" Lunurai questioned, thinking she was being suicidal.

"Never again. What I had to experience once before as a child... no matter what, I will never witness that again!" Ishie screamed, her eyes glowing.

A powerful blue glow began to surge out of her body.

"Wait, that light... could it be?" Rias gasped, staring at it.

The aura grew in power, and suddenly, the winter cold began to weaken. The sight was enough to surprise even Midgardsormr.

"My winds are... fading!?" He questioned.

"I was made the Hero of the Underworld, long before I knew what my heritage was, and now... it's time that I actually prove to everyone that I can protect them! No matter what my path is, and what my answer is? I will not give up this fight!" She screamed.

The glow exploded out, causing Albion to let out a gasp as he realized what was happening, only to smirk as it became clear why it was happening now.

**("Ishie, the time has come! Use it!")** Albion shouted.

Ishie's eyes widened, and then she nodded.

**"VANISHING DRAGON: BALANCE BREAKER!"**

Those four words made everyone's eyes widen as she unleashed a pillar of white light, one that her mother and all of the Underworld managed to see.

One it faded, she was now wearing a scale mail armor like Vali, only with a different shape that fit Albion's appearance and wing-shaped Longinus.

"She did it!" Asia cheered.

From a distance, Tiamat smiled at the sight.

"So, that was the catalyst you needed to achieve. A desire to avert a repeat of your life's greatest tragedy. With a catalyst like that, there's no doubt you're the one the Devils need for their future." She praised.

As the transformation ended, Ishie let out a few deep breaths, letting the feeling of the transformation sink in.

"I did it... I finally did it! And at the perfect time to kick this bastard's tail!" Ishie shouted, looking at her hands.

**("Just be careful to not get hit. This is our first time transforming, so it's going to be unstable until your body can fully adapt to the release on my powers.")** Albion warned.

"No worries, all I need is one attack to end this." Ishie replied.

**("That's probably all we'll get, so make it count. However, before you do that... hey, Kuroka!")** He shouted.

Kuroka looked at him, right as Ishie ripped a gem off her scale mail and tossed it towards her.

"Huh?" She blinked,

**("This gem comes from my Balance Breaker, so the fact I'm trapped in a Sacred Gear should mean that unlike that Evil Piece sphere, it should succeed in trapping Midgardsormr's soul!")** Albion explained.

Her eyes widened as she heard this, realizing she had been given a second chance to save everyone before it was too late.

**[Monster Hunter Stories, Ride On: Unreleased Kinship Track]**

At the same time, Ishie flew towards Midgardsormr, dashing around at speeds he couldn't react to, before flying high above the sky and holding her hand out.

**("DIVIDE!")**

"Gah!" He roared.

Midgardsormr felt his strength sapped away, but this time, Ishie continued to do it without any 10 second gap or her prior limitation, if she even had a limitation now.

"My grandfather, my grandmother, my uncle, and my mom... all of them have bad histories under our name. However, as of now... I will give the name of Lucifer something to be proud of! I will protect the Devil race with my full strength!" Ishie announced.

**("Now, Ishie!")** Albion shouted.

She roared as her power flared out.

**("RELEASE!")**

Then it exploded as all her stored power was used to amplify it, letting her condense her Light of Ruin into a powerful, yet condensed sphere that took the shape of a star.

**"Morning Star!"**

She fired it out, causing it to explode into a giant light blue star releasing black and white energy off of it, almost making it resemble a large comet. Midgardsormr roared and released all the power he could force into his fiery breath... only for it to shatter as the attack struck him.

"Kuroka! Do it now!" Ishie shouted.

Kuroka nodded and began to warp space around him again, with Albion's gem being sturdy enough to handle the strain, even as Midgardsormr grew once more. However, a new problem came as Kuroka collapsed to her knees.

She managed to avoid losing the link, but she wasn't able to increase her pull on his soul.

"I... can't do it! I'm not... strong enough!" She shouted, grunting as she did.

At that moment, Koneko put her hand on Kuroka's, channeling her power through it as well.

"Shirone?" Kuroka said in surprise.

"But we are, together!" Koneko shouted, fighting past the strain.

She turned her head to smile at her sister, making Kuroka slightly tear up before she smiled, leading the two to nod at one another.

They both shouted as a serious expression formed on their face, and their combined powers began to successfully pull Midgardsormr closer.

"W-What!? No, this can't be!" He roared.

Ishie screamed alongside Kuroka and Koneko as they continued, with everyone watching at the tug of war that would decide the fate of the Underworld, and everyone who was currently in it.

"Wait, why are we just watching this! Let's make the vital difference!" Irina shouted.

That made everyone's eyes widen.

"Right, one last attack from all of us!" Rias shouted.

Gathering all of their remaining power, they fired it at Midgardsormr, hitting him from the side as he let out a pained roar.

"We've... got him!" Kuroka shouted.

"This fight... is over!" Koneko shouted.

At that moment, Midgardsormr's body was absorbed into his soul, which was sucked into the gem like he got trapped in a whirlpool.

**"No!"** Midgardsormr screamed.

That was the last thing the Evil Dragon said before he was fully trapped inside the gem.

**[Insert Song End]**

Once he was, Kuroka and Koneko dropped to their knees, having used all their strength to seal him. The remnants of his icy winds soon faded, which proved without a doubt... that he had finally been defeated.

"We... we actually did it. We... actually managed to seal Midgardsormr..." Rossweisse realized.

With those words, Irina jumped into the air and cheered.

That one action caused everyone to do the same, with Ishie soon landed on the ground, collapsing on a knee as the fatigue finally kicked in.

"Albion, tell me something..." Ishie requested.

**("What is it?")** Albion inquired.

"Do you think I... made them proud?" She asked, shedding a tear.

The White Dragon easily knew who he was talking about, and nodded.

**("You always have, I'm sure of it.")** He answered.

Rizevia watched from somewhere none of them could notice her, deciding she had no right to interfere with this moment.

Today? Victory had been won by her daughter and her friends.

* * *

Great Red sat in his room inside the Khaos Brigade's hidden base, with his eyes suddenly flashing open as he felt Midgardsormr's energies become like those of Ddraig and Albion's, causing him to gasp.

"How can this be? Those Devils actually managed to defeat Midgardsormr!?" He shouted.

"They did what!?" Someone shouted.

Turning to the side, he saw the form of a familiar man walk into the room, showing anger at those words.

"A bunch of weak Devils actually managed to win against my son!?" He questioned.

Great Red sighed, already annoyed with this man.

"I'm afraid so Loki, and he is now trapped like Ddraig and Albion, possibly forever since I'm certain the Devils will leave him somewhere he can't reach. After all, they do have access to Hades' realm. It would be easy to stuff his gem into the depths of Samael's stomach or Tartarus' body, where we'll never be able to recover it." Great Red answered.

"How dare they!" Loki roared.

He blasted an energy burst towards Great Red's direction, who didn't even bother moving since a misfire that accidentally struck him would do nothing against him.

"They will pay for this... I promise you that." He declared.

Great Red yawned and ignored him as he walked away, letting him do whatever he'd like against them.

He soon brought up a magic circle, sensing all the energies present before seeing Ishie's Balance Breaker.

"Hmm... looks like I need to let Vali know about this." Great Red realized.

Great Red smirked in response, excited to see the final battle between Ddraig and Albion approaching.

* * *

With the battle now over, everyone took a moment to rest as Sirzechs and Grayfia made their arrival, joined by multiple Devil soldiers they brought to survey the damages of the battle and verify no further threats remained.

"Hey Rias, looks like your brother is on his way..." Ishie remarked, still very fatigued.

"Uh... Ishie?" Rias replied, pointing at Kuroka.

She blinked a few times before her eyes finally widened, remembering that only _they_ knew the actual story behind why Kuroka murdered her master. The fear on the Black Nekoshou's face made it worse, since she was too tired to do anything but stare.

However, that was when Ishie made a determined face, knowing exactly what she needed to do, right as the Soldiers noticed her.

"Stray Devil Kuroka has been sighted, prepare to-" The head soldier shouted.

Ishie blasted some magic at his weapon and knocked it away, silencing him as he and the other soldiers stared at her in shock, while Sirzechs raised an eye at her action.

"Ishie, you do know that such an act is-" Sirzechs warned.

"Kuroka is innocent of all the crimes you've labeled her for!" Ishie interrupted, refusing to stand down.

Sirzechs showed some surprise, as did Grayfia, while Kuroka stared at her in shock.

Realizing what Ishie was doing, Koneko let out a silent gasp, holding her hands together.

"That is a rather bold declaration you've just made, and one that you can't make without strong evidence to back it up. Do you have any?" Grayfia inquired.

"I do. According to Kuroka herself, her master... experimented on his peerage, and she was qualified as a member of it, but that's not why she killed him. Kuroka was willing to bear with it, but then he said something that she couldn't forgive. He claimed that Koneko, who wasn't part of his peerage, would also be experimented on." Ishie revealed.

Sirzechs and Grayfia gasped at that, with the rest of the ORC and Sona's peerage showing horror at the revelation.

"Just like I thought." Rizevia stated.

Everyone saw Ishie's mother walk into view, with a clear scowl on her face. How much was from what she just heard, and what remained from her battle with Sophia (if there was any), was unknown.

"Koneko flinched when Sylvie mentioned the Naberius Clan a while back, who are infamous for their experiments. A trait they inherited from the Nebiros Clan, which if I recall correctly... is the _only_ former House of Lucifer to not be with the current government in any form." Rizevia remarked, emphasizing the last part.

"What are you saying?" Grayfia asked worriedly.

Rizevia closed her eyes and let out a deep sigh.

"I think you need to have the entire Clan searched, because it seems fairly likely that Kuroka's old master was one of possibly many moles for the Khaos Brigade, ones that Great Red planted years in advance to gather information and sabotage us from within." She answered.

Hearing that, Sirzechs aura flared out like his sister's would, causing those used to Rias' to shiver from the stronger intensity his refined powers emitted.

"It seems that the Khaos Brigade takes us for fools. Unfortunately, I won't stand for that." He said coldly.

He looked at Grayfia.

"Grayfia, have a full squad of soldiers search the Naberius Clan's territory. I want anything that could link to spies found and brought to me at once." He ordered.

"As you wish." She replied, closing her eyes and bowing slightly.

She vanished in a magic circle. Once she was gone, Sirzechs looked at Kuroka, who stiffened a little.

"We'd need to have an official trial before we could fully give you a proper pardon on what may have likely been a horrible error on our part, one that we can't fully forgive for letting happen. However, you still killed many Devils, even if it was just in self-defense." He stated.

Kuroka lowered her head, sweating at what he might say next.

"As such, I'm afraid that I have to-" He prepared to announce.

"No!" Koneko shouted.

Everyone was surprised as they saw Koneko stand in front of her sister with her arms out, showing a strong look on her face despite her tears.

"I already lost my sister once before! Finally, I have her back, and... I refuse to let her take her away from me! Even if that means I have to become a criminal with her!" She shouted, unafraid of the consequences her words would bring.

Sirzechs said nothing for a moment, and when he tried again.

"Yes, I agree. I may not understand enough about the government Devils run as of yet, but if there is one thing I do understand, it's that tearing apart family is unforgivable. Besides... doesn't Kuroka count as family since Koneko is part of Rias'?" Ishie added.

"I'll also speak for Kuroka as well. All this time, I thought I understood Koneko, but today showed me... I didn't. That's why I will now, because she needs her sister." Rias agreed.

Sirzechs was left speechless by how even his own sister stood up for Kuroka, with the Black Nekoshou herself starting to tear up.

"But... you don't even know me. Why would you two defend me?" She questioned.

"You remember what I said to you, didn't I? _Koneko still has you._" Ishie reminded her.

It took her a moment, but Kuroka let out a silent gasp, understanding what Ishie was telling her once she connected what she and Rias had just said.

Rizevia smiled before playfully punching Sirzechs' shoulder.

"Looks like the current Devil King's still got some growing to do if he lets all his decisions be made just by what should be." She said.

"Huh?" Sirzechs blinked.

"You and your friends fought me and my friends because you believed the Devils needed to change. If you're willing to give me a second chance, regardless if it's just for the sake of my daughter, then I think you have the right to pardon her just because they believe she's innocent." Rizevia replied.

With those words, Sirzechs let out an embarrassed laugh.

He had nearly forgotten what he and his friends had fought for 500 years ago while trying to lead the Underworld, but like they had long ago, these kids were carrying that same will to better the Underworld.

"Looks like I can't win this battle." He admitted, rubbing his neck.

Koneko sounded hopeful by those words.

"Are you saying that-" She asked.

"I will pardon Kuroka of her crimes... on _one_ condition." Sirzechs replied.

Kuroka stood up.

"Y-Yes?" She asked.

"Kuroka, I hereby declare that, for the rest of your life... you will serve my sister as your sister does. _This_ is how you will atone." He declared.

Her eyes widened at that, with most of the Gremory Team showing surprise.

"I..." She said in shock.

She then bowed to him.

"I accept your conditions. Thank you for your mercy, Lord Lucifer." Kuroka replied, tearing up slightly.

Ishie smiled as her eyes became misty.

"Wait, but how can Kuroka join Rias? She took two Bishops, and Rias already used both of hers, so-" Gasper asked.

"You're forgetting that Ajuka invented the Evil Pieces, so he can easily find a way around it." Eyleah reminded him.

Gasper let out an embarrassed laugh in response.

"Alright everyone, let's get home, shall we?" Rizevia suggested, indirectly giggling at how tired everyone was.

"Mom!" Ishie shouted, blushing a little.

Sirzechs soon turned his head as he too let out a slight giggle at those words.

* * *

The following day, all of the Satans were gathered alongside Michael, Baraqiel, and Odin in a meeting room. Lint and Rossweisse joined them, once again being Michael and Odin's entourage and bodyguard respectively.

This finally gave a good look at Ajuka and Falbium, who were shown to be a young man (the youngest among the current Satans even) in his 20's with slicked back green hair and light blue eyes for the former, and a bald man with a black goatee for the latter.

"With how easily Vali got his hands on Midgardsormr, I'm afraid we can only assume someone in the ranks of the Norse Pantheon besides Vali and his mother has allied themselves with the Khaos Brigade." Ajuka stated.

"Yes, and more than likely, it's Loki who has betrayed us. He's never been one to follow the rules or care about the consequences he can bring. It would be quite expected of the God of Mischief in my fold, seeing as he's also Midgardsormr's father." Odin confirmed.

Rossweisse shivered at that. How Loki birthed monsters like him and Fenrir were things she didn't, and _never_ wanted to understand.

"Speaking of which, we took the gem containing Midgardsormr to Lord Hades, who has since trapped it in the depths of Tartarus' body. I believe you are alright with this outcome?" Sirzechs revealed.

Odin nodded his head before standing up.

"As leader of the Norse Pantheon, I take full responsibility for the actions that occurred today. Know that we shall aid the Alliance in their efforts fighting the Khaos Brigade from here on out as our way of apologizing." He replied.

"Losing Midgardsormr isn't going to leave you with any problems, will it?" Serafall inquired.

He shook his head.

"The times change, and we must change them. We often get so caught up in our factions' own lives, we forget that unlike the legends of Humans, we all co-exist. I believe the fact everyone defied a force that could end the world and succeeded is proof of mother nature's will to live." Odin replied.

At that moment, Rizevia walked into the room.

"And yet people like the Khaos Brigade refuse to see that fact, including Great Red, who wishes to outright defy that fact." She stated.

"Rizevia, you do know you aren't technically allowed in these meetings, right?" Sirzechs reminded.

"I do, but during the whole chaos, I found and fought against Sophia... who said something that I feel may have explained what Great Red's true plans are. If I'm right, then we truly have reason to fear what he'll be doing next. That... and Grayfia asked me to tell you she confirmed Kuroka's innocence and the potential moles in the Naberius Clan during her search." Rizevia replied.

Hearing both things was bad enough, but everyone looked at her when she mentioned having possibly realized Great Red's end goal.

"What kind of goal do you think he has?" Ajuka inquired.

She took a deep breath.

"Sophia mentioned him gaining the power to alter reality, likely promising the Khaos Brigade to give them all worlds that have what they want if they can achieve it as their reasons for fighting on the same side. There's only one way I can see him achieving that with his power..." Rizevia answered, closing her eyes.

Everyone watched as she waited another minute before opening them.

"He wants to make his power over dreams eternal... by devouring Ophis."

* * *

As the meeting between the leaders was happening, Ishie was shown to be carrying flowers in her hand as she walked alongside Akeno and Rias to visit a certain duo at the Serafall Memorial Hospital.

"You seem to feel a little different today." Rias remarked, looking at Ishie.

"Because I am. Seeing how things went for Kuroka and Koneko... sorry, Shirone, has caused me to realize what kind of path I need to take. A path not just for the Devils, but one that is something I can truly achieve." She answered.

That caught Rias and Akeno's attention, prompting the latter to walk a little closer and show some curiosity.

"And what kind of path is that?" She asked.

Ishie smiled and turning her head to look at Akeno.

"I'm the Hero of the Underworld, so I won't let my voice be what inspires and influences others. When I get passionate, I can't hold back what I say, but that doesn't manifest in real life like it does in stories. That's why I need to let what I do act as my voice, because what I do will carry the weight I need. Just like my name does." Ishie revealed.

"Now that I think about it... I don't know what Ishie stands for." Rias realized.

Ishie giggled at that.

"My mom says it comes from three kanji. Those three mean ancient Japan, aspire, and branch. While the name Lucifer means Morning Star, which in turn means hope due to how Jesus was meant to be this for all of Humanity when he died for their sins." She explained.

She then closed her eyes, smiling to herself.

"As such, my full name means the aspiring branch of the Morning Star, because the power my grandfather got his name from? It has now branched to me, becoming the hope he and my mother failed to bring to the Devils." Ishie revealed.

Hearing that surprised Rias and Akeno, though the former soon smiled at what she said.

"Ishie's really grown up since we first met her. Hasn't she?" She realized, almost sadly.

"It won't be long before she overcomes her past. With that in mind, I think it's time that I come to terms with my own." Akeno agreed, closing her eyes.

Rias showed surprise and looked at her.

"Wait, does that mean you-" She asked.

"At the rate things are going? Life might make it happen, regardless if when I'm ready for it, and then make me ready." Akeno replied, smiling at her.

Rias smiled back, realizing that was likely true.

They soon followed Ishie into the room where Kuroka was. Since she had been on her own for a while, Rizevia insisted she get a checkup to be safe. Her sister had been with her ever since, now once again using her original name and form as a sign she had escaped her past.

"Hey guys." Kuroka greeted, waving a hand at them.

"Hey Kuroka, Shirone. I thought I'd bring you a good luck gift." Ishie greeted back, handing her the flowers.

Rias smiled at Ishie, who soon looked back at her, showing a smile as bright as her last name's meaning.

* * *

**And that's it for the battle with Midgardsormr, and the adaption of V5, so I hope you all enjoyed it! Considering what V5 was adapting, I'm pretty sure that Ishie unlocking her Balance Breaker wasn't a surprise, and I had to surprise you in another way by revealing Kuroka as the next member of Rias' peerage! That being said, she won't officially join until after her match with Rias, since I feel Kuroka would leave it too much in Rias' favor.**

**On the plus side? Besides unlocking her Balance Breaker, the battle has helped Ishie realize her first step in knowing what kind of leader she wants to be for the Underworld, and has decided her way of leading won't work in the area of politics. She's the Hero of the Underworld, so she's going to use her status as it to inspire making changes for the better, because she believes that's her strength.**

**I think some people may not get that whole moment with Sophia thinking out-loud, especially if you're a newer reader, so to explain that? It's a bit of a joke to part of my writing style's earliest days. There were times I'd explain something without a proper scene build up, and since Sophia's nickname relates to her being smart... it seemed funny to make her reference that by having a tendency to accidentally think out loud.**

**My apologies if I either didn't show anyone (except Gasper, as Tannin implies that Midgardsormr is too strong for him to freeze in time) or barely had them fighting, as there was a lot of characters to keep track of. I'd have had less, but considering they were fighting a Dragon King, having only a few fighters in the mix would have made everyone in the ORC too OP in my view.**

**Before we officially end the chapter? I should let all of you know that it will be a while before the next one comes out, and not for the same reasons as Ch 17, which was because I took a while to get the scene with Ishie and Kuroka's talk right. It's simply a break while I focus on some of my other stories, and because I've got a bit of a surprise for what comes next, and I'm pretty sure all of you will enjoy it.**

**Until next time everyone, and stay awesome! ^^**


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